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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23709010">Forever Timeless</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer'>WayWardWonderer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Attacked, Big brother Connor, Bonds, Connor whump, Emotions, Family, Fear, Gen, Good Parent Hank, Hurt, Little Brother Cole, Love, Paralyzed, Remedy, Rescued, Time Travel Fix-It, Tragedy, Whump, Wounded, fixed, injured, together</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:34:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>84,971</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23709010</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A chance to change the flow of time allows Connor to spare his friend, Lt. Hank Anderson, the worst pain of his life as two people who had been taken away from him are spared death. In doing so Connor creates a chain of events that prove their partnership and their friendship is beyond coincidence or happenstance. The duo were destined to become friends, and as a result, a true family in the end.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connor and Cole - Brothers, Hank and Barbara OC - Husband and Wife, Hank and Cole - Father and Son, Hank and Connor - Father and Son</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>115</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>130</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Timeless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>There!  I finally finished reworking this story in an alternate timeline where another person Hank lost is given the chance to live on.  :)  Sorry it took so long, and I hope you enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A routine day at the precinct had come to an end and Connor, the android formerly sent by CyberLife, and his human partner, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, were walking out of the large brick and stone building to head to the car in the parking garage next door. As the duo made their way over to the dirty aged Oldsmobile together Hank noted the time on his phone and asked Connor if he had any plans that night he should know about.</p><p>"Going to hang out with Markus and have a social life tonight, or are you going to spend the night going through old CyberLife documents again?"</p><p>Connor gave Hank a slight tilt of his head as his L.E.D. cycled blue steadily in his right temple. "There's still a lot of files that CyberLife had hidden from the public that need to be sorted through. It is important."</p><p>"And so are<em> you</em>."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Connor asked as he put his hand on the front passenger side door handle and watched as Hank did the same on the driver's side of the car.</p><p>"I mean your life beyond work is important. Have a damn social life or something."</p><p>"I do have a social life. You."</p><p>"Son, we were assigned as partners and we<em> happened</em> to become friends." Sitting down behind the wheel Hank put the key in the ignition and watched as Connor joined him inside the vehicle with a single graceful motion. "You can't just sit behind a desk and think that counts as having friends because you're surrounded by the same people during every shift."</p><p>"We only 'happened' to become friends?" The thought made Connor's brow furrow with deep contemplation. "Are you saying you don't want me to be at the house all the time?"</p><p>"I'm saying you need to stop living in the past and move onto the future. You can't just expect everything to work out for you because of one chance encounter that worked out for the both of us, you know?"</p><p>"...I think I understand." Connor's blue L.E.D. had cycled to yellow in his temple causing an amber aura to fill the interior of the car and reflect against the glass of the window beside him as Hank pulled the car out of the parking garage.</p><p>"You okay?" Hank quickly noticed the distressed color and reacted accordingly. "Please tell me you're not pissed off or something."</p><p>"I'm not angry. I'm just thinking about what you said about us becoming friends out of happenstance."</p><p>"Hey, I didn't mean to make it sound like you're my friend because of coincidence or some shit. We were <em>meant</em> to be friends."</p><p>"How can you be certain that we'd be friends if we didn't get assigned as partners first?"</p><p>"I guess I can't. It's just a feeling."</p><p>"Then perhaps we aren't really friends after all. We merely associate with one another simply because it's convenient."</p><p>"Connor, no." The car pulled to gentle stop at a red light and idled there waiting for the color to change. Turning to face Connor with a stern gaze in his blue eyes Hank kept his voice level as he spoke to the deviant in a somewhat irritated tone. "You ARE my friend and I don't want to work with anyone else. Got it?"</p><p>"I-" Connor suddenly fell silent and pressed his hands to the sides of his head, his right palm covering the now red rapidly flashing L.E.D. in his temple, and let out a quiet scream of pain.</p><p>"Connor?!"</p><p>Before Hank could move his right hand over to his partner's left shoulder the deviant's body went slack and leaned heavily against his seatbelt as he slumped forward, now completely unconscious.</p><p>"Fuck! Connor? What's wrong?"</p><p>Thinking quickly Hank pulled through the intersection and sped out of the city and toward New Jericho Tower out on Belle Isle, where the infamous CyberLife Tower had once stood. It used to be a symbol of android oppression but after New Jericho claimed the building as a sanctuary it became a beacon of hope and change for deviants everywhere.</p><p>"Hang on, kid." Hank reached his right arm out and pressed his hand against Connor's chest and pushed the deviant back in his seat off of his taut seatbelt. The red tinted L.E.D. blinked slowly and reflected in a crimson hue off the window beside the unconscious deviant. "I don't know what the fuck just happened but we'll figure it out."</p><hr/><p>New Jericho Tower was a flurry of activity as the sanctuary just received a massive surge of refugees escaping surrounding discriminatory cities. The population of the tower nearly doubled over night as deviants flooded through the door and sought technical aid and repairs. Most of the deviants had been assigned personal quarters and were resting until they could be seen by Simon for repairs.</p><p>As North patrolled the main lobby of the tower and directed deviants where to go she caught sight of Hank walking through the front door with Connor unconscious over his shoulders in a 'fireman's carry'. "North, Connor went down."</p><p>"Shit. Get him to the emergency repair bay." She sounded as exhausted as Hank felt. "Markus is already there with Simon. We have a lot of downed deviants to take care of."</p><p>"Right." Tightening his hands on Connor's arm and leg Hank made his way to the elevator along with a few other deviants and made their descent to the designated floor with their unconscious allies. "Shit, how many of you are hurt?"</p><p>"It looks like forty-two so far." One of the deviant androids replied as she held up her unconscious friend against her shoulder. She noticed Connor and inquired about his presence. "Is he a refugee?"</p><p>"No. He's my partner. I don't know what's wrong with him."</p><p>"I'm sure New Jericho can save him."</p><p>"Yeah." Hank looked at Connor's unconscious face just past his right shoulder and shook his head a little. "I am, too."</p><hr/><p>Carefully Simon connected a wounded deviant to the system's analysis terminal to check his vitals and overall program stability. It wasn't as bleak as he feared but with the sudden influx of wounded deviants supplies; spare biocomponents and blue blood, were running thin. The resourcefulness of the tower's inhabitants, more importantly the leaders, were being pushed to their creative limits.</p><p>"How bad is the damage?" Markus asked Simon as he put his right hand on the wounded deviant's left shoulder in a comforting manner.</p><p>"Not as bad as I initially expected. His Thirium filter will need to be repaired, but he isn't in critical condition."</p><p>"That's somewhat of a relief, but I just got a message from North upstairs." The deviant leader's mismatched eyes were awash in worry. "Hank is bringing Connor down. He apparently collapsed from some unknown cause."</p><p>"Damn it." Simon sighed as he straightened up and gave his leader a focused stare. "We'll help him. I know it."</p><p>The door to the emergency repair opened and the senior detective walked into the room with his deviant partner still unconscious over his shoulders. The other female deviant carrying her wounded friend followed after him, and she was met by Markus who helped her out with her friend.</p><p>Hank placed Connor down gently on the closest exam table and addressed Simon in a despondent tone. "Connor went down while we were driving back from the precinct."</p><p>"What happened before he went down?" Simon asked as he clipped the long black cable to Connor's red pulsing L.E.D., then pressed his right hand down over Connor's chest to feel his Thirium pump beating and counted his pulse. "Tell me everything you can."</p><p>"He seemed to be in horrible pain, he was grabbing at his head, then he just passed out."</p><p>"Strange." Using a small penlight Simon lifted Connor's eyelids and checked his pupils then retracted his hands. "Optical relay sensors are functional. Did he suffer any damage to your knowledge?"</p><p>"No. Not that I-"</p><p>Connor sat upright suddenly on the table causing Simon to take a step back, and Connor put his left hand to his head as he gritted his teeth and took in a sharp breath to ease his mounting discomfort. "...My head."</p><p>"Connor?" Hank lightly put his left hand on the deviant's right shoulder and held his palm there for a moment. "Hey, can you tell us what's going on?"</p><p>"I don't... I can't explain it."</p><p>"Connor," Hank continued to focus on his partner while Simon checked the readout on the program analysis terminal. "what can you tell me?"</p><p>"It's... It's like I was hit with a wave of intense, vivid... Everything." Under the cable his L.E.D. kept blinking red steadily as he spoke. "It overwhelmed all of my senses and I was forced into emergency stasis mode."</p><p>"What was it? What overwhelmed you, kid?"</p><p>"I think... I think they were memories. Memories that don't belong to myself."</p><p>"Memories?"</p><p>"Without further exploration I can't... be certain."</p><p>"It's okay, son. Just take it easy and wait for your headache to go away before you try to figure this out, okay?"</p><p>Connor only nodded as he closed his eyes and breathed slowly to ease the relentless pain in his head. "...I think the memories... were a file transferred from a second android."</p><p>"I should've known you wouldn't be able to drop it." Sighing a little Hank shook his head. "Alright, do you know who sent the memories to you?"</p><p>"Yes." Dropping his hand from his head he gave Hank a tormented look. "I think I do."</p><p>"Who was it, kid?"</p><p>"...Me."</p><p>Hank's brow arched for a moment in confusion as he processed what Connor had just said. "Y-You? You sent memories from a second android and to yourself?"</p><p>"...Yes."</p><p>The revelation made both Hank and Simon stare at Connor blankly for a few seconds with utter confusion. While Simon remained quiet Hank continued to ask some questions. "How in the hell is that possible?"</p><p>"I'm not sure."</p><p>"How can you have memories from yourself that aren't yours?"</p><p>"...I think I had these memories sent to me <em>from</em> <em>me</em>, from somewhere in in a not too distant future. And the memories were sent for a purpose."</p><p>"What kind of purpose could that be?"</p><p>"...A warning."</p><p>"Alright, that's it." Carefully Hank pushed Connor back until he was laying down over the exam table again. "You're not leaving this tower until we both have some answers. Stay put. Simon," he looked to the blond technician who was still checking over the readout on Connor's program analysis. "can you give us an idea as to what's happening to him?"</p><p>"Maybe. I'm detecting a trace amount of quantum particles throughout Connor's memorybank, and all through his intracranial processors."</p><p>Hank didn't understand the comment and the confusion on his face expressed more than his words ever could. "You found <em>what</em>?"</p><p>"It's still theoretical," Simon replied calmly as he continued to check Connor's vital signs. "but it's promising research regarding quantum particles and, well, time travel."</p><p>"<em>Time travel</em>?" Hank was as skeptical as he was confused. "You're saying Connor sent a message to himself from the future, to his past, and our present?"</p><p>"Theoretically, yes."</p><p>"How?"</p><p>"Well, through-"</p><p>"Know what?" Reacting quickly Hank stopped the explanation before it had the chance to begin. "Never mind. I won't understand anything anyway. Just tell me if Connor's hurt or in danger."</p><p>"He seems completely stable. As to why this happened only Connor can answer that."</p><p>"Kid?" Hank looked down at the deviant who was still nursing a horrific headache. "Those memories that you saw, can you isolate them and figure something out from there?"</p><p>"I can try." Closing his eyes Connor's L.E.D. cycled red and yellow in rapid succession as he tapped into the various files and sort through them in a matter of seconds. As he did Simon noted his vitals on the terminal spike for a moment then forcibly level out as if Connor willed himself to calm down. When Connor's soulful brown eyes returned he looked up at Hank once more and replied in a low voice. "...Done."</p><p>"Anything important?"</p><p>"...No. It was all a test to see if the memories could be transferred back through time." Sitting up again slowly Connor returned his left hand to his head and Simon released the cable from his L.E.D. with a gentle grip. The L.E.D. was shifting back and forth between blue and yellow as Connor sat upright on the table thinking intensely about what he had just seen. "And as we can see the test was successful."</p><p>"Fuckin' hell. You scared the shit out of me."</p><p>"That wasn't my intention."</p><p>"Yeah, I know. I'm not mad just so you know. I'm just a little freaked out."</p><p>"...If it's okay with you I'd like to stay in the tower for a while longer to have my files sorted and separated to prevent any possible incompatibility issues."</p><p>"Uh, sure. But, I thought you can do that stuff at home."</p><p>"I can, but if I have another surge of memories I'd like to be monitored. It could prove important."</p><p>"...And I thought you hate facilities."</p><p>"I do. But I hate scaring you even more."</p><p>Patting Connor's shoulder once Hank crossed his arms over his chest and finally agreed. "Alright, yeah. You're right."</p><p>"I will see you later tonight. You're exhausted and need to get some rest, otherwise you'll get sick."</p><p>"Yeah, kid." Taking a deep breath to calm himself as much as possible he agreed to take his leave and let Connor remain at the tower for additional observation until they knew exactly what was happening. "You're right. Call me if you need a ride back home sometime tonight, okay?"</p><p>"Yes. I will."</p><p>"Take it easy, son." Reluctantly Hank walked away from the table to leave his partner and friend behind for further observation. "See you in a few hours."</p><p>Simon watched as Hank took his leave of the emergency repair bay before he spoke to Connor in a discreet voice. "Connor, I saw your vitals spike when you were going through those memories. What happened?"</p><p>"...It's complicated." Connor admitted in a somber voice. "And too much to explain thoroughly."</p><p>"Did something bad happen to New Jericho?"</p><p>"No, no." He replied quickly and honestly as he sought ease Simon's worries. "The tower is safe. What I saw was more... personal."</p><p>"...Do you want to talk about it?"</p><p>"No. But I would like to do some more research into the ability to send memories through time."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"There's something important I need to do, and I know I will succeed in the future. I just need to figure out how I will do it."</p><p>"Sure. Uh, go check out the server room." Simon suggested casually as he watched Connor slip off the edge of the exam table to head for the door to do some research. "If you need any help let me know."</p><p>"Of course. Thank you, Simon."</p><p>"I'll also let Markus know where you went in case he needs to talk to you."</p><hr/><p>Connor retreated to the relative seclusion of the server room at the basement of the tower and set about his research regarding the ability to send messages through time, and was determined to succeed. While he was fighting to focus on his research Connor struggled to keep his thoughts away from the foreign memories from the alternate time and distracting himself from his progress.</p><p>"...I know this can work," the deviant told himself in a determined voice. "but I need to-"</p><p>Another wave of pain silenced him and made Connor stumble forward and catch himself against the modem of the terminal to keep himself from falling. Slowly lowering himself to the ground to rest on his knees Connor put both of his hands to his throbbing head; his L.E.D. flickering red sporadically, and endured the horrific and inexplicable pain.</p><p>"...No... Not now. I need to focus!"</p><p>"Connor?!" Markus saw his friend was in distress and practically slid on his knees as he rushed to Connor's side. "Connor, let me take you back to the emergency repair bay. You're hurt."</p><p>"No!" Connor shook his head and focused entirely on Markus's face as the pain mercilessly let him go. "No, it's okay now."</p><p>"What happened? Can you move at all?"</p><p>"...Markus. I have a very big favor to ask of you, and I wouldn't ask if it weren't important." Connor took a deep breath and turned to face his friend kneeling on the floor beside him. "It's more important than anything I've ever asked of you."</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>"...I need you to send a message to yourself in the past, and I need you to do it tonight."</p><p>"A message to... the past?" Markus didn't know what Connor was talking about but he was willing to listen and try to help. "I... I don't know how to do that."</p><p>"I can show you."</p><p>"Show me? What're you talking about?"</p><p>Connor retracted the skin over his right palm and extended his hand out toward Markus to take in his grip. "I have to show you this. It's far too much to explain, but once you see what I'm talking about you'll understand everything."</p><p>"...Alright." Markus removed the artificial from the palm of his own right hand and accepted Connor's grip. As the two deviants connected their minds Markus prepared himself for the sudden impending rush of strange images. "I'll trust you."</p><p>The two deviants cybernetically connected their minds a flash of information; images, sounds, aromas and even emotions transferred over from Connor's mind and into Markus. The red glow of Connor's blinking L.E.D. reflected off the screens of the surrounding terminals, and glistened off the metal bodied of the surrounding computer modems with a crimson flare that engulfed the whole server room.</p><p>Markus let out a shocked gasp as he pulled his hand from Connor's grip and shot to his feet. "Connor..." He now fully understood why Connor so desperately wanted his help on this very peculiar matter. It was very important and revolved around life and death. "Was that... Was that really who I think it was?"</p><p>"Yes." Connor confirmed as he got to his feet slowly and regenerated the artificial skin over his palm. His L.E.D. cycled to a distressed yellow as he locked eyes with his friend. "Now that you know the truth will you help me?"</p><p>Looking down at his own right hand Markus clenched it into a tight fist as the artificial skin regenerated over his appendage like tide. "Yeah." He subtly nodded and agreed to help his friend. "I'll do whatever it takes to help you."</p><hr/><p>Driving back to the house alone Hank pulled the car along the driveway beside the modest home and put the large vehicle in park. With a tired sigh he opened the car door and slammed it shut behind him as he trudged toward the backdoor of the house with a slow gait and the keys in his hand. As soon as he opened the backdoor he was greeted by Sumo who pressed his nose to Hank's left hand before he trudged out into the backyard for a few moments to take care of business.</p><p>"Good dog."</p><p>Hank glanced about the open house and felt alone for the first time since Connor moved in the morning after the Revolution. What was supposed to be a favor for a friend turned into an indefinite stay of a good partner, and a damn good friend.</p><p>"This place isn't the same without you two boys. It's for damn sure different without Barb here to talk with, too."</p><p>With a heavy heart Hank opened the refrigerator and pushed aside a few plastic storage containers full of leftovers and grabbed the six pack of beer he had bought a few months back out of an old bad habit. Pulling one of the bottles out of the small cardboard container and unscrewed the cap and downed the amber drink.</p><p>"...Fuckin' hell."</p><p>Sumo scratched at the backdoor and Hank let the massive bundle of fluff back inside the house as he continued to drink.</p><p>"...Good dog, Sumo."</p><p>Ever loyal Sumo continued to stay by Hank's legs as the senior detective walked into the livingroom and plopped heavily into the recliner and kicked off his shoes. As he leaned back in the recliner he put his feet up and had Sumo resting his chin over Hank's right shin as he wagged his tail slowly.</p><p>"Yeah, I know. It's not the same without at least one of 'em here, huh, Sumo?." Downing another mouthful of beer Hank put his hand on Sumo's head and held it there as he rubbed the large dog's soft ears. "Connor will be back later, boy."</p><p>Sumo seemed to recognize the name and he wagged his tail a little more.</p><p>"Too bad they <em>all</em> can't come back." Finishing off the beer Hank placed the empty glass bottle on the floor beside the chair and raked his right fingers through his gray locks of hair as he restrained a modest belch. "But having one back home will have to do for now. I'll see Cole again when my dumbass finally crosses over to the other side."</p><hr/><p>With the assistance of both Connor and Simon in the privacy of the server room Markus sat in a chair and had a analysis diagnostic and monitoring cable attached to his right temple. Under Simon's supervision the deviant leader allowed his intracranial processor to be steadily flooded with quantum particles as he focused on connecting to his own memorybank on a specific date in time four years into the past.</p><p>"...I can feel my software connecting to... something." Markus's mismatched eyes were closed and his features relaxed as he concentrated on sending the message to himself in the past. "I think it's... Yeah, it's me. I'm connecting to myself."</p><p>Connor was studying Markus's face with an intensely curious stare. "Are you in any pain?"</p><p>"No. It feels like I'm... dreaming. It's very unusual."</p><p>Simon continued to monitor Markus's vitals as he slowly and carefully adjusted the necessary concentrated flow of particles into Markus's memorybank. "Let me know if your head is beginning to hurt. I don't want to overwhelm your senses."</p><p>"...It's okay. It's just surreal."</p><p>Getting a little anxious Connor watched Markus's every reaction, no matter how subtle, very carefully. "Have you made the correct connection on the correct date?"</p><p>"...Yeah. August 2nd, 2031."</p><p>"Time of day?" Connor's L.E.D. cycled yellow in rapid distress.</p><p>"It's... It's currently nine-fourteen in the morning."</p><p>Connor's hands were clenched into tight fists as he crossed his arms over his chest. "...And your memory in the past is receiving the message?"</p><p>"Yeah, it's getting through." Markus slowly opened his mismatched eyes and gave Connor a nod of confident approval. Taking a deep breath Markus allowed Simon to remove the cable from his temple as he stayed seated in the chair. "...It worked. The message was delivered."</p><p>"You're certain?"</p><p>"Yes. I'm one-hundred percent certain." Running his right hand over his right temple Markus felt a strange wave of energy passing through him. "I can... I can feel a new memory setting in. Connor, you need to get to Hank quickly before the full repercussions set in and change things."</p><p>"You're right." Reaching his right hand out toward Markus for one final handshake Connor eagerly hailed a taxi through cybernetic communication. "In case this one change affects... certain events, I just wanted to thank you."</p><p>"Connor," Markus grabbed onto his friend's hand and stood upright from the chair. "it'll be alright. Go home and see Hank."</p><p>"I'll see you soon, right?"</p><p>"Right. You're my friend, Connor."</p><p>Retracting his hand Connor gave Simon a nod of respect as he quickly turned on his heels and made his way through the elevator door to get back up to the ground floor of the tower as quickly as possible. As the elevator ascended Connor could feel a strange pressure in his head as he too began to feel a strange wave of energy washing over him.</p><p>The elevator reached the ground floor and the deviant detective stumbled through the parted doors and out of the tower to the front drive as the cybernetically summoned autonomous taxi reached its destination. Fumbling with the door Connor climbed into the back and leaned heavily against the seat as his L.E.D. shifted from yellow and into red as the pain in his head began to mount quickly.</p><p>"...Shit." Pressing his both of his hands to the side of his head again Connor leaned into his palms as he felt like his intracranial processor was about to explode. "I need to get to Hank. I need... I need to tell him what's h-happening!"</p><p>Forcing himself to concentrate on his new mission, forcing himself to ignore the pain and make it back home before he gave into the agony of his own mind trying to tear itself apart, Connor put in the house's address on the taxi's G.P.S. to take him back home. The drive was swift and smooth, but it felt like it was taking forever as the deviant endured his pain, and could feel himself beginning to overheat.</p><p>Connor didn't feel the cab pulling to a gentle stop until the door beside him opened automatically. A feminine, artificial voice instructed Connor to pay for the fare and exit the vehicle, which he did with a clumsy effort.</p><p>Stumbling up the front walk and toward the front door of the house with L.E.D. still flashing in red distress Connor put his hand on the door knob and forced the door open in a single abrupt motion. "...H-Hank?"</p><p>"Connor?" The senior detective was still in the recliner and quickly got to his feet and rushed toward the door where Connor was beginning to fall to his knees in pain. Grabbing onto Connor by hooking his hands under Connor's arms Hank hefted the deviant back up to his feet and carried him over to the couch very slowly. "Connor, what's wrong?"</p><p>"...M-My head. Everything is-"</p><p>"Easy, kid." Laying Connor down over the length of the couch Hank put his right hand to the deviant's forehead and noted the rapid flashing of Connor's red L.E.D. with righteous concern. "Shit, you're burning yourself up!"</p><p>"Hank!" Connor grabbed onto Hank's wrist in a tight but non-aggressive grip as he looked up to the senior detective with a pleading gaze. "Listen to me! That warning to the past will affect you, too!"</p><p>"What the hell are you talking about?"</p><p>"The message was my attempt to right a wrong and I... I..." Connor's strength wore out as he suddenly lost the ability to speak.</p><p>"Connor?"</p><p>"...H-Ha..."</p><p>"Lay still, I'll be right back."</p><p>Connor watched through his blurring eyes as Hank walked out of the livingroom and disappeared from sight down the hallway. A mass of confusing images and memories flooded his every sense causing the deviant incredible pain and made his aching head throb even worse. As his eyes began to slip shut against his will, emergency stasis mode once again threatening to steal his consciousness, Connor briefly saw Hank hovering over him and smoothing out a cool washcloth over his too warm forehead.</p><p>"Connor, you need to rest." Hank instructed as his hand pressed down over the washcloth and his voice began to muffle in Connor's ears. "You'll be okay, son. I'm going to call Markus and ask him if can help us."</p><p>Darkness swam over Connor's blurry vision and the world around him disappeared behind his eyelids in an instant.</p><p>"You'll be okay... I promise, son."</p><hr/><p>Eight hours passed with Connor in emergency stasis mode to keep his intracranial processors and his biocomponents from overheating. One by one his programs rebooted and automatically ran an analysis on his overall function. The deviant detective was fortunately stable and rebooting to optimal functioning parameters steadily without needing technical intervention.</p><p>"-nor?" Hank spoke to the deviant in a soft tone of voice as his right hand went back to the cool washcloth over Connor's forehead. "Can you hear me?"</p><p>It took a moment but eventually Connor found his voice and responded. "...Y-Yes."</p><p>"Finally." The senior detective sounded genuinely relieved. "You scared me, son."</p><p>"...I'm sorry."</p><p>"I know that. Lay still for a few more minutes."</p><p>"...I... I lost consciousness."</p><p>"Yeah, you did. You came home last night after working with Markus at New Jericho and passed out with a high fever almost as soon as you walked through the front door."</p><p>"...I was trying to tell you something. Something important."</p><p>"Take it easy, okay? Your fever just broke over an hour ago."</p><p>"Hank, it's-"</p><p>"Lay still." Hank put his left hand against Connor's chest and held him down as he counted Connor's heartbeat under his palm. "I'm not going anywhere today, so you just rest for a little while and then we can talk."</p><p>"It's important."</p><p>"So is your health, son. How many times do I have to tell you that?" He moved his hand from Connor's chest and sighed a little as he watched Connor trying to open his eyes. "Don't say you're 'sorry' and don't move around. Sleep for a while longer and you can tell me everything later."</p><p>Realizing that Hank wasn't going to let him get Connor relented and stayed down on the couch. "...O-Okay."</p><p>"Good. I'll keep quiet so you can sleep."</p><p>"...Sumo?"</p><p>"Sumo's down the hall. He'll be all yours once you wake up."</p><p>Connor nodded slowly as he sunk down against the thick pillow that was placed beneath his head and pulled on the dark navy blue blanket that was draped over him as he slept. He listened as Hank walked out of the livingroom very slowly and seemed to disappear down the hallway and into his bedroom for a few more hours before finally getting around that morning.</p><p>After an additional two hours Connor was roused by the presence of someone watching him and the smell of someone else cooking in the kitchen.</p><p>"Hey, let him alone for a while." A feminine voice called out in a gentle but stern voice. "Come get your breakfast. Dad made French toast just like you wanted."</p><p>Connor couldn't place the presence, and yet he somehow knew that the person belonged there in the house and had every right to be there with him. He could say the same for the feminine voice who spoke up a moment before. As the presence walked out of the livingroom and into the kitchen Connor took in a deep calming breath and nearly fell asleep again as his system struggled to keep himself stable and prevent any additional overheating. The last thing he was consciously aware of was a cool soft palm pressing to his left cheek before they walked pass the couch.</p><p>Casually Sumo walked over to the couch and pressed his cold wet nose to the side of Connor's neck, then trotted into the kitchen to clean up some scraps on the floor.</p><p>Doing his best to remain calm and quiet Connor manually turned down his senses to help him tune out the three voices speaking in the kitchen and keep the morning sunlight from disturbing his optical sensors as he tried to rest as instructed. Focusing on the time Connor noted that twenty minutes passed by and the presence returned to the livingroom, along with Hank, and sat down on the floor by the front door.</p><p>Turning his senses back to full capacity Connor caught the tail end of a conversation as the front door opened. Sitting up on the couch very slowly Connor pressed his left hand to his forehead and turned to look over the back of the couch to look at the front door, only to have his eyes go wide with utter confusion. He got to his feet slowly as he scanned the livingroom then stared at the front door as Hank spoke to the second presence that had been watching Connor as he had slept on the couch.</p><p>"Have a good day at school, Cole. I'll see later."</p><p>"Bye, dad." Cole was standing in the doorway of the house with his backpack over his shoulders and a smile on his face. The boy was ten years old now, and had shaggy brown hair and Hank's dark blue eyes. Cole noticed Connor was standing up and acknowledged the deviant staring at him with his wide brown eyes. "Bye, Connor."</p><p>"...B-Bye." Connor instinctively replied in a low but still audible voice.</p><p>"Bye, mom!"</p><p>From within the kitchen sweet feminine voice responded to Cole in a loving tone. "Bye, sweetheart! I love you!"</p><p>The second 'goodbye' made Connor's already wide eyes go wider as he realized the female presence he had detected was a third member of the Anderson family. Whispering the term Connor was at a total loss of what to think. "...Mom?"</p><p>Hank watched as Cole jogged down the front walk and climbed into the backseat of the carpool and headed off to school before closing the door. Turning around to face Connor the senior detective locked eyes on the deviant and then arched a brow. "I'd ask if you're feeling better but you look like you're about to throw-up or something."</p><p>"...H-Hank? I don't understand. What's going on?"</p><p>"That fever must've melted a part of your brain." Hank commented as he approached Connor, walking around the now black leather sectional couch and put his right hand to Connor's forehead. Sumo finally walked out of the kitchen and rested his chin on Connor's knee affectionately as the deviant all but collapsed back down to the couch to rest. "Whoa, easy. You're shaky, you're confused and you haven't called me 'Hank' at home since last summer."</p><p>Turning to face Hank directly Connor gave the senior detective an inquisitive stare. "...'Lieutenant'?"</p><p>"And you haven't called me <em>that</em> since the night of the Revolution."</p><p>"...Revolution?"</p><p>"Connor, do you need to go see a technician?"</p><p>The deviant scanned Hank's body and found vastly different readings than he initially had registered and compared the two readings with a quick but entirely accurate analysis: Hank's weight was twenty-two pounds less than it had been, his cholesterol level was at a healthy number, there was no cirrhosis of the liver, or building arthritis in his joints or back from prolonged inactivity and poor diet. Even Hank's hair was different. It was still gray but trimmed and styled in a more professional cut, and his beard was trimmed much shorter and was only a modest goatee.</p><p>"...Hank?" Connor kept looking around and saw that the house was different as well. "I don't... Everything seems different."</p><p>It was bigger than the house he remembered but still modest. The interior of the livingroom was a cool slate gray color with white trim on the paneling and front door. The hardwood floor was dark and the front window was a massive bay window overlooking the larger front lawn. Furnished with the long 'L' shaped black leather couch, a matching recliner, long ovular shaped glass coffee table, television on a black metal stand, and a single massive bookshelf stretched over the entirety of the far wall leading to the hallway; the livingroom was as homey as it had been in the old house. Dozens of framed photographs lining the walls only accentuated the feeling of being in a loving, warm home.</p><p>"This is... your house?"</p><p>"Connor," Hank put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder to study his face closely. "son, what's going on? You're really out of it."</p><p>"I don't..." Everything was so strange and it was still making him feel overwhelmed. "Was that... Was that <em>Cole</em>?"</p><p>"<em>Yeeeaaah</em>..." The senior detective was studying Connor's face and moved his hand from the deviant's shoulder to the center of his chest to count the beats of his thundering heart. "Cole went to school and he'll be back a little after three. That's what he's been doing every day since he started kindergarten."</p><p>"...Cole is ten years old."</p><p>"That's right. He turned ten last month."</p><p>"Hank..." Connor put his head to his hands and leaned forward against his legs as if he were trying to make himself feel grounded. "Hank, I don't understand."</p><p>"Me neither, son. What's going on with you? I called Fowler while you were asleep and when I was making Cole his breakfast, so he knows you're too sick to come in today. Relax and tell me what's going on."</p><p>"...It's a very long and... Hank." The deviant was struggling to keep his contradicting thoughts together. "There's so much to tell you."</p><p>"Then start talking."</p><p>"I don't want to scare you."</p><p>"Son, you acting the way you are right now is already scaring me." Pulling Connor's right hand away from the right side of his head he looked at the deviant's now exposed right temple and sighed. "Sometimes I wish you kept that damn light. It made it easier to figure out what was wrong with you based on the color."</p><p>"My light?" Connor's right fingertips brushed against his right temple where his L.E.D. had been located, but now how had long since been removed. "...It's gone."</p><p>"Okay, that's it." Taking hold of Connor's right arm around his elbow Hank tried to pull the deviant up to his feet. "I'm taking you to see a technician. Hey, Barb? Could you come and-"</p><p>"No! No..." The fact that Hank was also calling out to Barbara, his wife who was supposed to be gone as well, was all the more confusing. "I'll be okay. Just give me a minute to think."</p><p>From the kitchen Barbara entered the livingroom in her electric wheelchair. Barbara had been listening to the odd conversation from the kitchen and when she heard Hank calling for her she knew something was wrong with Connor. Sporting long wavy brunette hair, dark hazel eyes and a fair complexion Barbara looked very alive, healthy and yet also very worried. "What's going on?"</p><p>The senior detective responded to the question in a calm but concerned tone. "I think Connor needs to see a technician."</p><p>Reacting quickly Barbara returned her palm to his cheek, her touch confirming that she had been watching over Connor in his sleep, and noted that while Connor was no longer overheating his complexion was paler than usual, and she could see he was stressing out. "Maybe. Connor, what're your stress levels at, honey?"</p><p>"...They're at..." Being called by a term of endearment was a little odd for the confused deviant. "...Seventy-three percent."</p><p>"Too high."</p><p>Sighing Hank sat down beside Connor and planted his hand firmly on the deviant's shoulder. "I knew your fever was high but I didn't know it was high enough to mess with your memory!"</p><p>"...Fever?"</p><p>"Do you remember coming home from New Jericho last night?"</p><p>"I... I do. I walked into the livingroom and I tried to tell you something important, but the pain in my head made it impossible. You helped me over to the couch to lay down and before I could tell you I was forced into emergency stasis mode."</p><p>"That's right. And you were burning up all night until almost five this morning. When your fever broke you were still kind of out of it and you've been confused all morning since you woke up. Do you remember what you were trying to tell me before you passed out?"</p><p>"...I do." Connor looked at Hank and was struggling to keep his nearly overwhelmed emotions in check. "We need to talk, but I think you should start."</p><p>"Uh, start where?"</p><p>"The day we met." The answer was completely unexpected but accurate. "I need you to tell me everything that happened up until today."</p><p>"...Alright, son." Staying focused on Connor's request Hank decided to answer the questions and listen to what Connor had to say. Flashing Barbara a silent and worried glance Hank asked her to stay close by to try to figure out what was happening with Connor. "I'll tell you everything I remember, then you're going to answer a few questions of my own."</p><p>"Yes, of course."</p><hr/><p>Over a span of two hours while sitting at the larger kitchen table Hank told Connor everything that had happened when the two first met, and Connor found himself able to easily tap into the alternate memories and accept them as truth. Connor scanned over the kitchen and noted the white tile linoleum floor, pure white cabinets, dark bluish/gray colored walls, white trim, new white colored appliances and large window over the kitchen sink filled the room in natural light. Everything was clean, organized and felt of a loving home.</p><p>While Hank told Connor all of the details of their first encounter and of their time leading up to the Revolution and the time afterward Connor prepared to tell Hank about the alternate reality in which he had been living. It was easier to start from the beginning of their encounter and leave Barbara and Cole's fates out of it for the moment.</p><p>"So the first time we met it wasn't at the old house on Michigan Avenue, it was inside 'Jimmy's Bar'?" Hank was almost laughing at the absurdity of the claim since he rarely ever drank. "Seriously?"</p><p>"Yes." Connor confirmed as Sumo plopped down with an audible grumble as he laid between the two detectives beneath the kitchen table. "I had tracked you down to the bar after searching four others before it."</p><p>"Man, that seems so wild. I clearly remember you knocking on my front door and introducing yourself to me, and getting Cole getting all riled up."</p><p>"Riled up?"</p><p>"It's not everyday a kid's dad gets to work with a state of the line prototype android to solve crimes." Hank was unusually upbeat and his demeanor was nothing like his defeated and broken personality that stemmed from the loss of his son. "If it wasn't for Barb putting her hand on his shoulder he would've climbed into the backseat of the car and followed us to the crime scene."</p><p>"...The crime scene. A murdered human?"</p><p>"Yeah. He abused his android and brought it on himself." The detail between the two timelines remained consistent unlike a few others. "I had to tell the patrolling officers that you were with me when we got to the scene, and when you figured out what happened and found the suspect hiding in the attic they never had a problem with you showing up at crimes scenes ever again."</p><p>"...And the following interrogation?"</p><p>"Well, you managed to get the suspect to talk and he confessed to killing his owner because he was tired of being beaten and realized it was unfair. The poor deviant would've self destructed if you hadn't intervened, even when Gavin tried to get you to back off. Fortunately me drawing my own gun and pointing it at Gavin was all it took to make him leave you alone."</p><p>"I remember that." The memory made sense and Connor could see it vividly. "What about the following morning?"</p><p>"Uh, let's see. I was at my desk when you showed up and started working on deviant case files at the terminal across from me. You decided it'd be easier to work on the most recent cases and work backward, and honed in on another case of a deviant attacking their owner and fleeing from the night before."</p><p>"...Kara. She was hiding out at the hotel with Alice when we went to investigate it. She slipped out before we could get to her."</p><p>"Right. We took off after her when a patrolling cop recognized her, and you were ready to scale the chainlink fence to go after her. I grabbed onto your shoulder and ordered you to stay put so you didn't get hit by a car."</p><p>"Did she make it across the highway safely?"</p><p>"Of course she did. It was close but she and Alice made it, and then made it over the border to Canada the night of the Revolution."</p><p>"What happened to us after that?"</p><p>"Well, I got hungry and went to grab a bite to eat."</p><p>"Did you go to the 'Chicken Feed'?"</p><p>"Yup. Like I said, Gary and his customers aren't doing anything worth wasting mine, or their times, with arresting them over petty shit."</p><p>"...It was raining that morning and afternoon."</p><p>"Yeah. I asked you to sit in the car when I got my lunch so you didn't soaked, but you followed me anyway. That's when you told me about your first mission as a hostage negotiator and of how you saved that little girl on the top of the apartment complex."</p><p>"And the deviant who took her hostage?"</p><p>"Nothing you could've done to save him, son. S.W.A.T. took him out even after you talked him down and let the girl go."</p><p>"No matter what I did, Daniel died anyway." The grim thought and memory were both clear and therefore factual. "Did we go check out an apartment where a deviant had been seen after we lost sight of Kara?"</p><p>"Yup. The deviant was hiding out in a crappy apartment that wasn't supposed to be inhabited, and freaked when we got too close to him. He was feeding pigeons and working on a rooftop greenhouse to make ends meet. When he ran from us he pushed me out of the way and tried to escape, but you chased him down over the rooftops." Hank ran his left hand nervously over his goatee as he spoke with Connor about the entire event. "That guy almost knocked me off the roof during the chase, and I would've fallen to my death if you hadn't pulled me back up. You saved my life, son."</p><p>"What happened after that?" The events played out the same and Connor could feel everything was accurate. "Where did we go?"</p><p>"Well, I went home for the rest of the day to shake off almost falling to my death, and to check in with Cole after he got home from school. You showed up later that evening to take me to another murder scene at that deranged 'Eden Club' Hellhole. Some idiot got too rough with a Traci and-"</p><p>"And her friend strangled the man after he killed one of the Tracis. She went into the club's storage area to hide out and escape with her lover, but we stopped her escape. She and her lover attacked us and I... I chose to let her go. Right?"</p><p>"That's right. You had them both in your line of sight but you didn't pull the trigger. You listened to their story first and then let them go. It was the right thing to do and I was glad you chose to look the other way."</p><p>"...They made it to Jericho."</p><p>"And that was the first time I saw you make a decision that made you... feel. <em>Really feel</em>."</p><p>"...Feel?"</p><p>"Sure. When you chose to show empathy to the deviant android in the interrogation you showed you were becoming more deviant and less machine." Hank began listing off the reasons with utter confidence in his voice. "When you chose to listen to me and not risk your life on the highway because I didn't want you to get killed you recognized yourself as a living being and became more deviant. When you chose to save my life instead of chasing the suspect as you were ordered to do you were becoming deviant right before my eyes. And when I saw you spare the lives of those two innocent deviants at the club I knew without a doubt that you were in fact alive." Hank put his right hand to Connor's left shoulder and held it there for a moment. "You saw those two girls are living, feeling beings and I know you felt in your heart, too. That's why you didn't pull the trigger."</p><p>"Hank," Connor was getting more tense as he spoke with his closest friend and he was on the verge of losing his emotional composure. "...where did we go after we left the club?"</p><p>"We went to the park that overlooks Ambassador Bridge for a couple of hours. I needed to stop and think for a while. And you needed a quiet moment to comprehend what you just went through."</p><p>"What happened while we were at the bridge?"</p><p>"I sat on a bench in the cold snow and wind thinking to myself while you sat in the car for a moment. You came and joined me, insisting that I go home to Cole but I wasn't ready just yet. Being nine years old meant Cole was still really innocent, he still is even today, and I don't ever want him to see it when I get lost working on a case. The distant stare in a detective's eyes is something kids just don't understand."</p><p>"...What did we talk about while we were at the bridge?"</p><p>"The case and RA9."</p><p>"There was no alcohol or... a gun?"</p><p>"Alcohol and a gun?" The question was unexpected as it was unusual. "What happened in those other memories you have?"</p><p>"We... We weren't so understanding as partners in this other timeline. You didn't like me at all, and the night at the bridge things reached their breaking point for us."</p><p>"What did I do to you in that other timeline?"</p><p>"...You bought some beer, started drinking and when I mentioned that the deviants we let go weren't alive you pulled your gun on me. You asked me if I was really alive and kept pushing me. When I didn't cave in or give you the reaction you wanted you put your gun away and went off somewhere to keep drinking alone."</p><p>"Holy... Connor, I pointed my <em>gun</em> at you?"</p><p>"I know it wasn't anything personal and that your reaction came from a dark painful place. I've never held it against you, or felt threatened by you ever since."</p><p>"Man, it sounds like I was kind of a prick in your other timeline."</p><p>"No. You were gruff but not a bad guy. You-"</p><p>"Alright, alright, so back to the night of the Revolution." It was clear Hank was unsettled by the knowledge he had it in him to point his gun at Connor, and needed to change the subject. "After we spent some time at the park I dropped you off at the drive leading to CyberLife Tower and I went home. The next afternoon Markus and his team infiltrated the Stratford Broadcast Tower and delivered their message."</p><p>"A message of peace."</p><p>"And hope." Hank confirmed with a single nod.</p><p>"When we went to investigate the tower we found evidence of non-aggression from Markus and Jericho while the responding officers needlessly opened fire. One of the deviants, Simon, had been injured and hid out on the roof out of sight."</p><p>"And you chose to not follow the trail of blue blood. You told me later when Barb and I were patching you up that you intentionally let him go because you didn't want any innocent deviants to die after seeing their message for peace being carried throughout the city."</p><p>"...You two had to patch me up?"</p><p>"Yeah. That one deviant working for the broadcast station attacked you when you were interrogating him in the kitchen."</p><p>"That's right. He stabbed a kitchen knife through the palm of my left hand and pinned me to the countertop, then tore out my Thirium pump regulator. I kicked over a nearby chair to make some noise and managed to get my hand free, get to the regulator on the floor and put it back into place before I shutdown. Afterward I went after the deviant and had no choice but to shoot him after he grabbed a gun and tried to open fire on us and the other officers investigating the scene."</p><p>"Uh..." The reaction was as open as it was somber. "...That was mostly right."</p><p>"That isn't... what happened?" Connor's brow furrowed again as he watched Hank's face pale a little. "What happened at the tower?"</p><p>"You were attacked by the deviant in the kitchen, just like you said, but there was one big difference." Letting out a soft sigh he told Connor what was unique about the encounter. "I went to check on you after I saw the deviant leave the kitchen and I found you on the floor trying to get to your missing biocomponent. You were bleeding a little and couldn't get to the biocomponent because that chair you kicked over in your<em> other</em> timeline was still standing in <em>this</em> timeline, and now in your way."</p><p>"...I shutdown?"</p><p>"Almost. I found you and turned you from your chest so you were laying on your back and held you in my arms. You kept telling me that the android who attacked was in fact a deviant and needed to be stopped, but I didn't care about that. You, uh, you closed your eyes and let out a weak breath making your L.E.D. thing turn off. When I was looking down at you, trying to figure out what the hell happened, I saw the blue blood on your abdomen and the hole torn into your body." Taking in another breath Hank paused before continuing on. "I looked around and saw that biocomponent sitting on the floor just a few inches from where I found you, so I picked it up and put it back in your abdomen."</p><p>"You saved me."</p><p>"Mostly. You were still out of it and not responding after I put the biocomponent back, so I had to put you down on the floor and give you a few chest compressions to get your pump to start pumping again. You were down for about two minutes until you suddenly gasped for breath and rebooted. It was too damn close but you made it."</p><p>"You really did save my life."</p><p>"You saved me first. You pulled me up from the roof and I put your biocomponent back into place."</p><p>"What happened after that?"</p><p>"Well, I took you back to the house instead of taking you to CyberLife Tower to get you cleaned up, and so you could rest. I didn't know what those CyberLife assholes would do to you since you almost died and 'let the suspect get away' because you were incapacitated. Besides, Barb is pretty tech-savvy with androids and dealing with your biocomponents and Thirium. Once we got your abdomen bandaged up we left you to rest on the couch and Cole came home from school to see you hanging out in the livingroom. He was thrilled."</p><p>"...Cole was never afraid of me?"</p><p>"Not for one second. Hell, you helped him with his science homework and then you gave that special biocomponent in Barbara's spine an upgrade to help her regain some additional strength in her lower body to help try to reverse some of her paralysis."</p><p>"I upgraded Barbara's spine?"</p><p>"How could you not remember<em> that</em>? You turned her whole world upside down when you helped her regain some feeling in her legs." The pride in Hank's voice spoke volumes of his gratitude toward Connor helping out his beloved wife. "You gave her a real chance at walking again. That made her happier than anything since the day of the shooting."</p><p>"...I'm glad I could make her happy."</p><p>"You should be. She started going back to physical therapy since she regained some feeling in her legs, and she's been full of energy ever since."</p><p>Connor smirked a little as he thought about how he had managed to improve Barbara's life, even if that memory was still fuzzy in his mind. The more he focused on the memory the clearer it became until it was as vivid and detailed as if he had just experienced the moment that very morning. He could see the smile on Barbara's face when Connor helped her flex her right ankle for the first time in almost seven years.</p><p>That was the day everyone in the Anderson clan had accepted Connor as one of their own.</p><p>"...Our next case," the smirk faded slowly as Connor sought more details on the cases that he and Hank had been assigned to work together. "what happened after that?"</p><p>"We went to speak to Elijah Kamski at his personal residence on the harbor. He kept giving intentionally cryptic answers and then put a gun in your hand with an ultimatum."</p><p>"...If I pulled the trigger and killed Chloe he'd give us the information we needed. But I didn't do it."</p><p>"No, son. You let Chloe live and that's when I knew for certain that all androids were alive. You saw her as a living being despite being an android yourself. I was very proud of you."</p><p>"I didn't pull the trigger in either timeline." Connor put his elbows up on the top of the kitchen table and pressed his palms up against his face as he leaned against his hands. His shoulders slumped with heavy relief. "I'm glad I made the right choice. <em>Twice</em>."</p><p>"Yeah, you made the right choice."</p><p>"And Jericho?"</p><p>"Fowler took us off the case because it was starting to turn into a civil war in the middle of the city, but you were bound and determined to figure out where to go so CyberLife didn't deactivate you. I went after that F.B.I. asshole, Perkins, and provided a distraction for you. You got into the basement, after insulting Gavin," both detectives smirked at that comment. "and put together enough pieces of the puzzle through our collected evidence and found a trail to follow. You punched out Gavin when he tried to stop you, then you took off alone to get to Jericho. After all that I was sent home to 'cool off' and begin my two week suspension for assaulting Perkins."</p><p>"...I went out into the city and found Jericho." The deviant's memories were flowing together more easily and he was able to piece together the bits and pieces of his 'new' memories during this alternate timeline. "And I became fully deviant when I met with Markus. We worked together to protect as many deviants as possible from the F.B.I. raid, and managed to reconvene at the abandoned church after we sank Jericho into the depths of the harbor. From there I went to CyberLife Tower to wake up the other androids in storage and give the deviants a fighting chance by strength in numbers."</p><p>"...Yeah." Hank paled again and he turned away from Connor's face. "The tower."</p><p>"Hank?" A sinking pit formed in his stomach and made him feel sick. "What happened at the tower?"</p><p>"Well, when I was at the house I sensed that something was... wrong. Sumo was out in the backyard whimpering and began to bark like he could feel it, too. I went to check on Cole and that's when I saw the red glow of an L.E.D. light in his bedroom."</p><p>"...My machine-android counterpart from CyberLife." The revelation was disheartening to say the least. "He threatened Cole." Connor was feeling even sicker and was quite surprised he didn't actually throw-up upon learning someone with his likeness, and 'dedication', would threaten an innocent little boy. "...What did he do to Cole?"</p><p>"That 'evil-twin' bastard held his gun toward Cole's head and told me that if I didn't go with him that he'd shoot my son in cold blood as he slept. He had slipped some kind of sedative to Barbara and left her passed out in our bedroom."</p><p>"Hank, I-"</p><p>"I agreed to go with him and surrendered my service weapon in the process. We took an autonomous cab to the tower and he used me as a hostage to try to control you after you showed up. It didn't work though. You stopped that bastard before he could shoot me, but that didn't stop him from getting a shot off and getting you in the shoulder. You answered in the same though, so at least it was even. And then I had to figure out who was who without making any mistakes in the process."</p><p>"How did you do it?"</p><p>"I tried asking a couple questions; where'd we first meet, Sumo's name and Cole's name, but since the bastard had been to my house that meant he knew enough about me to answer in the like. Hell, he even knew when to break in the house AFTER I let Sumo into the yard, had the forethought to drug my wife, and he went after my son. He knew Barbara, Cole AND Sumo existed, so I asked about our time at the broadcast tower."</p><p>"...I would've have never told CyberLife about nearly dying at the hands of the escaped deviant, so he wouldn't have known about it, either."</p><p>"Bingo. All you had to do was admit to being attacked, shutting down and losing the deviant; something that machine bastard could never admit to, and I took him down. You woke up the rest of the deviants and led them to Hart Plaza to help Markus with his peaceful protest."</p><p>"...You went back home to be with Barbara and Cole and you all watched what happened on the news. That's when you went to the 'Chicken Feed' to find me. You... You took care of my wounded shoulder after I had been shot by my counterpart and brought me back to the house to give me a home after everything happened."</p><p>"And a family."</p><p>Smirking a little again Connor heard the sincerity in Hank's voice. "...And my family." Connor relaxed again, his stomach no longer vice-like knot, and he felt at ease at long last. "You decided to move into <em>this</em> house because you didn't feel safe at the old house after my machine counterpart snuck in, and pointed a gun at Cole and dosed Barbara."</p><p>"That, and because the old house only had two bedrooms. We needed a bigger place to live after you joined the family."</p><p>"You moved into a bigger house all for <em>me</em>?"</p><p>"Hell yeah. You were insistent that the couch was fine but I didn't like it. And Cole wanted you to room with him, but I liked that even less."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"The last thing I needed was a nine year old sitting up all night asking a million questions to a deviant who would gladly answer every single one of them, instead of telling him to go to sleep."</p><p>"...Oh."</p><p>"Do you remember everything that happened now?"</p><p>"I think so. Markus moved Jericho and the other surviving deviants into the abandoned CyberLife Tower after CyberLife went bankrupt, right?"</p><p>"Yup." The confirmation was very grounding and reassuring. "They took over the tower and the city has been doing better ever since."</p><p>"And Markus and I are still friends?"</p><p>"Hell yeah. You were the best man at his bonding ceremony."</p><p>"...That's right. Markus and North are bondmates."</p><p>"Connor, I have to ask. What was it in the other timeline that made me such a damn hard-ass? There had to be a good reason for me to hate all androids."</p><p>"Hank, I-"</p><p>"Please. I have to know." Hank gave the deviant a stern glance from where he sat. "From what it sounds like I went through something terrible and I almost killed myself. I need to know what almost happened."</p><p>"...Just so you know what happened was NOT your fault."</p><p>"Please stop stalling and tell me the truth."</p><p>With a heavy heart Connor had the misfortune of telling Hank about the alternate timeline where Barbara didn't survive being shot and of how Cole didn't survive being in a car accident, and died due to hospital neglect. He told Hank how the deaths of his family had sent Hank spiraling into a deep dark depression that almost killed him. How the only reason Hank didn't take his life is because he opened up to Connor and let someone get close to him for the first time since the funeral.</p><p>As he told Hank the truth Connor could see the fear, relief, pain and shock in his blue eyes. "...I'm sorry I had to tell you that."</p><p>"Connor." Hank folded his arms across his chest and fought to keep himself from letting tears fall. "The day of the shooting I was told by the precinct that an android anonymously called and warned of the precinct's Kevlar vests being faulty. Barbara wore a thicker body armor instead and that was the only thing that kept the bullet from going any deeper into her spine than it already did. The bullet... It would've struck an artery if had done any deeper. Barb would've bled to death in the back of the ambulance."</p><p>"The warning saved Barbara's life."</p><p>Hank laughed a little as he rubbed his right hand over his goatee and looked over at Connor with utter appreciation in his eyes. "When you came home sick last night I called Markus to ask for his help. All he said was to wait it out and listen to everything you had to tell me. He also said that when you did I'd finally know who the android was who warned the precinct all those years ago."</p><p>"...Markus received the message in the past."</p><p>"And you're the one who sent it to him."</p><p>"I had to try."</p><p>"Connor, <em>you changed the course of time</em> to save my family! How in the hell did you do that?!"</p><p>Connor shook his head a little as he took a deep breath and accessed the memories that had been sent to him, from himself, from the not too distant future. "I did this in the year 2064. You were... gone. And I was alone. I had gone to work at New Jericho with CyberLife's technical replacement, 'Digital Sentience', to aid android development and progress. While there the technicians began experimenting with quantum particle transference of data and memories."</p><p>"...They were experimenting with whether or not messages could be sent through time?"</p><p>"Correct."</p><p>"And you volunteered to send the message?"</p><p>"Apparently so. Yes."</p><p>"You chose to find a way to save Barbara's life." Hank was fighting to keep himself from breaking down at the revelation. It was too incredible to be true, and yet, it already happened. "You could've done something like warn the deviants about the F.B.I. invading Jericho and prepared accordingly. Hell, you could've even warned Markus about Leo showing up and disrupting his life and sending Carl's health into a downward spiral. But you chose to save Barb. Why?"</p><p>"...I don't know. I guess it made sense to try to save the life of one innocent woman instead of affecting the lives of deviants or stopping certain events that played out for the best in the end for those involved. I never knew Barbara or Cole in the alternate timeline but you swore that they'd both like me, and see me as his a part of the family. It seems you were right. I had no idea that by changing Barbara's life that it'd alter events and keep the car accident that stole Cole's life from ever happening."</p><p>"Connor."</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>Hank threw his arms around Connor and gave the deviant a tight hug as he began silently weeping tears of gratitude onto Connor's shoulder. "Thank you. You gave me back my family. You gave Barbara and Cole back their lives. You saved me from unspeakable horror and depression, and then you gave me another son."</p><p>"...Another son?"</p><p>"Connor, come on!" It was hard to keep Hank from shouting in the deviant's ear. "I legally adopted you last summer and made you officially my son!"</p><p>"...That's right. I remember now." Connor slowly wrapped his own arms around Hank and reciprocated the hug. "It was my birthday present last summer. You adopted me and named after you: Connor Henry Anderson."</p><p>"Yeah..." Hank patted Connor's back as the deviant acknowledged the moment and remembered the details. "Thank fuck you at least remember<em> that</em>."</p><p>"...It was Cole's idea to tell me about it on my birthday."</p><p>"And that's when you stopped calling me Hank all the time when we're off the clock."</p><p>The new memories all fell into place perfectly. "I call you 'dad' when we're home."</p><p>"Damn right you do. You've even called Barb 'mom' a few times just to make her smile."</p><p>The backdoor in the kitchen slid open as Barbara returned with Sumo from the backyard and gave her family an odd glance. "Everything okay in here?"</p><p>"...Yeah. I'm okay." Connor took in a shuddering breath as he too began to weep from the emotional memories overwhelming his mind and heart. As he pressed his face down against Hank's shoulder he cried softly with utter gratitude in his words. "...Then it's true."</p><p>"What's true, son?"</p><p>"We were always meant to be friends, to be a family. It wasn't happenstance after all."</p><p>"You're my son. It doesn't matter what timeline or what circumstances." Smiling at Barbara as she moved closer to the table and put her right hand on Connor's back to comfort the stressed out deviant Hank confirmed that everything was going to be fine. "You're OUR son, that'll NEVER change."</p><p>"...You're right. Thank you for everything." Tightening his hug Connor felt a sense of inner peace he had never known and welcomed it with all his heart. His decisions were the right ones to make. "Thank you for giving me a family."</p><p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Family Bonds</h2></a>
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      <p>Taking in his new surroundings Connor slowly walked through the oddly familiar, yet strange house with a sense of deja vu plaguing his every thought. As he passed through the house room by room he found the layout of the livingroom and kitchen to be familiar and they felt right; and the same could be said when he glanced down the small hallway leading to the house's ground floor bathroom and the study. Everything was right in the house, and everything felt as normal and safe as the old house had been, but Connor somehow felt somehow out of place.</p>
      <p>The bathroom was larger than the one at the old house; complete with a stand-up glass shower and a large white bathtub up against the wall. The walls were pale blue and the floor had white tiles. The small room had a few stray toys and kid friendly hygiene products meant for Cole on the white sink, or on the edge of the tub. There was also a fresh razor blade and can of shaving cream on the sink now that Hank was shaving again. The mirror wasn't littered with cynical sticky notes as personal reminders and mantras for Hank to follow since he was no longer embittered by the tragic loss of his wife and son.</p>
      <p>The study across the hall from the bathroom was made into a private office that Hank and Connor used when working on cases at home. Light brown walls and a beige carpet created a neutral calming feeling. There was a large window overlooking the front lawn that allowed natural light to flow through the room, a small red leather sofa up against one wall and a massive bookshelf up against the opposite wall. The bookshelf was filled with Hank's old books and had a new new ones added to the collection. In front of the window was a double sided desk like the ones at the precinct to allow Hank and Connor to have space while they worked, but with much nicer chairs to sit in. A third laptop was tucked on the bookshelf near the books as Barbara was still a detective and did consulting work on the side whenever she had the chance.</p>
      <p>Leaving the study Connor returned to the livingroom and climbed the white wooden staircase leading to the second floor of the house. There was a single hallway leading down to three separate bedrooms and a second bathroom for convenience. Connor's bedroom was at the beginning of the hallway and had been furnished with his own personal taste. Off white walls, very dark green carpeting and a window overlooking the backyard that let warm sunlight inside the room. A large bed, a nightstand, a small desk lamp, his emerald green guitar in its stand in the corner, and a bookshelf filled with various CyberLife manuals and other bits and pieces of souvenirs and framed photographs he collected out of his own unique fascination made the room unique to himself.</p>
      <p>Overlooking his collected items Connor's soulful brown eyes locked onto one particular item of interest. "...My L.E.D.?" Connor noticed the small dull disc sitting on the top shelf of the bookcase and picked it up between his right index finger and thumb. Next to the L.E.D. was a framed photograph of Connor with Hank, Barbara, Cole and Sumo standing together in front of the new house the day they moved in. Hank, Barbara and Cole were smiling sincerely while Connor only mustered up his somewhat confident grin. "...I remember this. I asked Hank to remove my L.E.D. before we finished unpacking."</p>
      <p>As he put the dead L.E.D. back down next to the photograph he glanced at the other items he collected during his first year of life as a member of Hank's family. There was a clear glass bottle with a corked top containing sand from a Floridian beach, a quarter from 2029 (Cole's birth year) a green quartz rock found on the shore of the Detroit River, and a ticket stub from a 'Knights of the Black Death' concert.</p>
      <p>"I remember this as well. Hank wanted to take Barbara and Cole to Florida to get out of the cold weather and we spent a full day at the beach." Each memory popped into Connor's mind very naturally as he eyed his collected treasures. "I found the quarter near the benches when I took Cole to the park during the first warm day of spring after the Revolution. The crystal was on the riverbank when we walked by the water during this past summer. Barbara encouraged me to keep it and to starting purchasing things for myself because I wanted them and earned them. After that Hank and I went to see the 'Knights of the Black Death' concert together."</p>
      <p>"You kept warning me that the loud music was going to damage my hearing." Hank commented from the opened bedroom doorway as he watched Connor studying each item carefully. "I can still hear just fine."</p>
      <p>"Yes. I've noticed."</p>
      <p>Smirking at the smart remark Hank helped Connor to feel more at place in his own bedroom. "I wanted to get you more furniture for your room but you insisted the bed was all you needed. You even hang your damn t-shirts and jeans in the closet like some kind of weirdo instead of using a dresser. Fortunately, Barb is having better luck with getting you to buy things for yourself and express yourself."</p>
      <p>"...It's strange. I remember everything but this feels somehow... surreal."</p>
      <p>"Maybe it's from the fever."</p>
      <p>"I doubt it."</p>
      <p>"Come here." Hank motioned for the deviant to follow him out of his own bedroom and into the bedroom across from it. "Remember that?"</p>
      <p>Peering inside the room, Cole's bedroom, Connor noted the dark blue walls, white carpeting, bunk bed up against the wall, with two beanbag chairs on the middle of the floor, a large dresser with a flat screen television a top of it, a video game console with two controllers beside it, a desk up against the window overlooking the front yard, two bookcases on either side of the desk filled with various books and random souvenirs of his own, and dozens of action figures, sports equipment and books all over the floor.</p>
      <p>Sumo was sprawled out over both of the beanbag chairs and wagged his tail as soon as he saw Connor, but didn't both to get up since he was so comfortable.</p>
      <p>"Yes." The memories were as vivid as ever almost as if Connor had relived those moments that very morning. "Cole wanted the bunk beds for whenever a friend stays the night, but he also asks me or you to stay on the bottom bunk to play games all night. I help him with his science homework and occasionally play video games with him after he finishes."</p>
      <p>"It's weird." Hank remarked as he crossed his arms over his chest and sighed at the sight of the bedroom full of life and energy. "I can't imagine my life without Cole, and yet those memories of raising him from the day he was born and continuing to take care of him as a toddler seem so distant. And now I can't imagine where my head would be without a smartass deviant partner keeping me from putting too much sugar in my coffee, or having greasy burgers for lunch every day."</p>
      <p>"To be honest, I can't imagine my life without having you around to be my friend, guardian and father figure. I had no one and nowhere to go after everything went down. You saved my life that night."</p>
      <p>"Well, it turns out you saved Barbara and Cole through some freaky science fiction shit I can't even figure out, so I guess we're even now."</p>
      <p>"I don't think it's wise to keep score."</p>
      <p>"You're probably right. Come on." Putting his right hand to Connor's left shoulder Hank stepped out of the bedroom and escorted the deviant out of the bedroom to head back downstairs. The metal supports for Barbara's wheelchair lined the interior of the staircase and had been installed by Connor himself once the family moved into the house. "You can help me get the pool covered up before fall starts dropping leaves into the water."</p>
      <p>"...We have a pool?"</p>
      <p>"Connor, it was <em>your idea</em> to get the house with the pool."</p>
      <p>That detail seemed extremely farfetched in itself beyond everything else that had already happened. "It was?"</p>
      <p>"Yup." Walking down the staircase with Connor right behind him Hank reminded the deviant of the choice he made almost a year prior. "You said being able to swim would help Barbara rebuild her lower body strength and encourage her to resume physical therapy. It worked."</p>
      <p>"...Oh."</p>
      <p>"Hey, be proud. You helped give Barb back the confidence that I thought would take <em>years</em> to return." Hank smirked as they stepped into the kitchen where he then opened the sliding glass of the backdoor to the large deck leading to the in-ground pool. It was still warm outside but with fall creeping around the corner the idea of keeping leaves out of the pool all day long was not a very appealing prospect. "And you've been a great big brother for Cole to look up to, too."</p>
      <p>"A brother." The idea made a strange warmth spread over Connor's chest from within his heart. "You trust me with your own son."</p>
      <p>"Fuck yeah, I do." As Hank accessed a nearby control panel on the far side of the house to place the electronic cover over the pool he shook his head and sighed deeply. "You're my <em>other</em> son, remember? You're both my kids and I'd give up my life to protect either of you."</p>
      <p>"I hope it never comes to that."</p>
      <p>"So do I."</p>
      <p>Connor glanced about the large backyard beyond the pool to a big patch of green grass surrounded by a white wooden fence. The entire area was a safe secluded property on the other side of the city. It was like moving from the small house to the large house solidified Connor's place as Hank's adopted son, and they were now in a completely new and better place in their lives.</p>
      <p>"...When does Cole usually come home from school?"</p>
      <p>"Usually twenty minutes after three." Closing the panel on the control box Hank looked over at Connor as the deviant continued to glance about the backyard curiously. "Why?"</p>
      <p>"...What do we-" A flash of memories suddenly hit Connor and he remembered everything that he and Cole did whenever they were hanging out together. It was as if every question he wanted to ask had been answered in less than a second. "...I help him with his homework when he needs it, and then we go to the park on nice days to play basketball. Right?"</p>
      <p>"You got it."</p>
      <p>"I also help Barbara with running errands in town and taking her to her doctor's appointments to ensure the chip implanted in her spine is functioning adequately."</p>
      <p>"Also right."</p>
      <p>"Where is Barbara as of this moment?"</p>
      <p>"She went to go grab a few plants from a neighbor down the street. Lately Barb's been full of energy and getting out of the house more, I'm glad."</p>
      <p>Smirking again Connor could sense Hank's positive mood and in turn it was affecting him in a positive manner. "We have a shift together tomorrow afternoon."</p>
      <p>"Yup."</p>
      <p>"...And it's my turn to cook tonight."</p>
      <p>"Well, you were sick so I'll cook again."</p>
      <p>"That won't be necessary." Feeling slightly more comfortable Connor tried to reassure Hank that he didn't have to do anything special on his account. "Doesn't Cole have his science fair project to work on, as well?"</p>
      <p>"Connor, chill." Hank was genuinely amused by Connor's returned enthusiasm. "He's still trying to figure out what he wants to work on."</p>
      <p>"But if he can get an 'A' on his project-"</p>
      <p>"I know." Hank patted Connor's shoulder once as he walked around the now protected pool and walked back up the deck to the backdoor. "<em>I'm</em> the one who made the deal with him. I know what's on the line."</p>
      <p>"Right... Of course."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>It took Connor only a few minutes to be reacclimated to his new home and in that time he decided to check out the neighborhood while taking Sumo for a walk. It was a very nice neighborhood in a more spread out suburban location, and in the middle of the neighborhood was a park where all the kids would gather to play basketball in the large court all summer long. It was peaceful and quiet save for the birds singing in the trees, or a few people mowing their lawns in anticipation of the upcoming fall.</p>
      <p>"We've been here for eight months, two weeks, two days and it's been a very calm time. Cole is happy at school, Barbara is going through additional physical therapy to overcome her paralysis, and Hank is happy to have his family still in his life." A strange sense of foreboding dread made Connor's stomach knot a little as he and Sumo circled the block to head for home. "So much has changed, seemingly for the better, but there must be some other effects to this change of events."</p>
      <p>"Connor?" Barbara was making her way back home as well. She had two tomato plants on her lap and was giving Connor an eager grin. "Feeling better?"</p>
      <p>"Y-Yes. The fog of confusion has begun to clear."</p>
      <p>"Thank goodness. I was so worried that I made a mistake when I insisted that I could take care of you by myself, and not take you to see a technician."</p>
      <p>The memories of Barbara educating herself on android cybernetics, biocomponents and functions popped into Connor's head like a bursting balloon. "That's right. Whenever I've been injured or ill in the past you've taken care of me."</p>
      <p>"That's what families do, dear." Giving the deviant a smug grin Barbara made it know that she truly cared about Connor like her second son. "We take care of each other, and we do fun things together."</p>
      <p>"...The garden. You and I had worked on a garden all spring and moved it to keep it safe in the basement to ensure the plants would survive being planted year round starting next spring. The idea of keeping them in the basement greenhouse was your idea."</p>
      <p>"Are you sure you're feeling okay, hon'?" Seeing Connor struggling with his memories was beginning to worry Barbara. "I can't believe you'd forget a moment like that."</p>
      <p>"I'm sure that I'm well." Thinking quickly Connor gave her a plausible excuse to explain his behavior without insulting her intelligence. "My memorybank is repairing itself slower than average due to my extreme core temperature becoming my self healing program's priority."</p>
      <p>"Well, as long as you're healing that's all that matters."</p>
      <p>Connor received a cybernetic text from Hank asking him to return home and to help with changing the car's oil, to which Connor happily obliged. Working on the car was seemingly something that the two genuinely enjoyed doing, and it passed through into the new timeline as well. "Hank has requested my assistance with the car."</p>
      <p>"Good timing then. You help Hank with the car," Barbara insisted as she and Connor returned to the front door side by side. "and I'll get these plants down in the greenhouse with the others."</p>
      <p>"Of course. I'll join you after I've finished assisting Hank."</p>
      <p>Holding open the front door politely Connor watched as Barbara entered the home and went about her own business without any problems whatsoever.</p>
      <p>"...I'll have to look into the events beyond the day of the shooting and the car accident leading up to the night of the Revolution." Connor told himself as he unclipped Sumo from the leash. Connor ten located the laundry room connected to the kitchen, and through the laundry room he entered the garage where Hank was waiting for him. "There will undoubtedly be drastic changes to this timeline due to these two changed events."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The work on the car within the confines of the well organized and large garage seemed as routine as anything else in Connor's life. It felt like he had helped Hank in that very garage numerous times before in the past, and yet in Connor's mind and new sense of reality Connor new that the moment was truly the very first time. Time changes and memory corruption be damned, it was the first time Connor had helped Hank in that particular garage and yet the young deviant felt like it was a brand new experience.</p>
      <p>"That'll do it." Hank proclaimed as he wiped oily grease from hands onto an old red rag. Slamming down the hood of the car he took a step back and nodded at Connor who proceeded to lower the car down from the lifted jack to rest on all four tired again. "Much easier to do this with two people."</p>
      <p>"...Yes."</p>
      <p>"You okay?" Tossing the rag casually onto the tool bench against the far wall of the garage Hank stood before Connor and put his clean right hand back to the deviant's forehead curiously. "You're not getting sick again, are ya'?"</p>
      <p>"No, I'm not overheating." Connor gently put his right hand around Hank's wrist and pushed his palm back. "I'm just thinking."</p>
      <p>"Don't do that. It's a bad habit."</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry. I'm merely checking through the various other memories that have cycled through my mind between this timeline and the alternate from where I seemingly came from." Shaking his head a little he gave Hank a stern glance. "I can't help but feel that there is something very drastic that has been changed between the two timelines, and that change is very bleak for deviants."</p>
      <p>"You almost dying in my arms at the Stratford Tower isn't bleak enough?"</p>
      <p>"I can't explain it. So much has happened before, during and after the Revolution; it's difficult to get every piece of differentiating information to line up accordingly. And the things that have been changed won't necessarily have a direct connection the events surrounding me, you, Barbara or Cole. It's disconcerting."</p>
      <p>"Hey, don't worry about that." Putting his hand to Connor's shoulder instead Hank led the deviant out of the garage and opened the side door to get back into the laundry room. "You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, son."</p>
      <p>Connor gave Hank a faintly amused grin. "...I guess that's another bad habit I have regardless of what timeline I live in."</p>
      <p>"Cole will be home in a couple of hours. Think you can act natural around him?"</p>
      <p>"Well, he knows that I was overheating this morning, so maybe if I unintentionally act unusual around him he'll believe it's a result of my prior illness."</p>
      <p>"If you need some more time to get adjusted to this new timeline I can tell him you're still sick and ask him to give you some space."</p>
      <p>"No, that isn't necessary. Everything feels right, and I know that you and I have a shift tomorrow afternoon that requires our utmost attention. I don't want to pretend to be ill, or push anyone away."</p>
      <p>"Good. Because Cole adores you, and those others deviants still need our help."</p>
      <p>"Before Cole does come home from school I would like to go help Barbara with the plants and speak with Markus for a moment. I want to refamiliarize myself with New Jericho and see whether or not Markus is aware of the two parallel timelines as well."</p>
      <p>"Sure. Want to take the car?"</p>
      <p>"No, I'll hail an autonomous taxi."</p>
      <p>"Alright. Do what you gotta' do, and we'll be here when you come back."</p>
      <p>"Of course. I will return in a few hours, I promise."</p>
      <p>Taking his leave of the garage Connor held his head up high as he located the door to the basement and walked down the staircase to locate Barbara as she finished watering all of the plants. The second support railing to guide her electric wheelchair down the staircase had also been installed by Connor, and had been a blessing as it allowed Barbara to navigate her own home without feeling limited by her condition.</p>
      <p>Stopping in the middle of the staircase Connor called out to Barbara announce his presence without startling her. "Barbara?"</p>
      <p>"Down here, Connor." The kind woman replied as she finished adjusting the lights over her new plants and watering them. "Get the car taken care of?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, the oil has been changed."</p>
      <p>"And where's Hank?"</p>
      <p>"I imagine he's going to take a shower now."</p>
      <p>"Perfect. That gives us about twenty minutes."</p>
      <p>Reaching the bottom of the staircase Connor gave the woman an odd glance. "...Twenty minutes?"</p>
      <p>"Oh, sweetheart." Wheeling over to Connor she took hold of his right hand in her left hand and gave him a somber look. "Please don't tell me you forgot about our lessons!"</p>
      <p>"I... I apologize." Embarrassed by his lapse of memory and answers Connor blushed a pale blue. "It's just that I..."</p>
      <p>"It's okay." Letting go of his hand for just a moment Barbara wheeled over to the small workbench next to her greenhouses and turned on the radio. Selecting a special pre-downloaded song to play at a modest volume Barbara returned to where Connor was standing and held out her right hand again. "I'll remind you."</p>
      <p>Accepting Barbara's right hand in his left hand Connor waited for Barbara to help him remember their lessons. "...Thank you."</p>
      <p>"Alright. Hold tight." As she tightened her right hand around Connor's left hand Barbara locked her wheelchair into place and used her left hand to push herself up from the seat at a slow and awkward pace. Shifting all of her weight so Connor could help her balance Barbara managed to stand up on her own two feet and boldly defy the odds against her from ever walking again. "...R-Remember now?"</p>
      <p>"Barbara... You can..." Scanning over the woman's spine again Connor was shocked to see how well her body was healing and adapting to the chip in her spine as it aided her long overdue recovery. Not only was it allowing her to rebuild her strength, it was restoring her damaged nerves and atrophied muscles, and with it she was regaining full feeling in her legs. "...How long have you been able to do this?"</p>
      <p>"About six months ago I started having feeling in my toes again. I asked you to take me to see a doctor and he confirmed the chip was slowly regenerating my damaged muscles and nerves. You wanted me to tell Hank right away, but..." Putting her left hand on Connor's right shoulder Barbara watched as Connor instinctively moved his right hand to her left hip to help support her weight. "I decided that for our wedding anniversary this year I wanted to surprise Hank with a dance to our song for the first time since I was shot."</p>
      <p>The reply warmed Connor's heart as the memories of their secret dance lessons filled his mind. "...You've been teaching me how to dance and I've been helping you practice. I've also already rented a room at a hotel and bought tickets to the indoor water park downtown so I can keep Cole preoccupied while you and Hank celebrate your anniversary together."</p>
      <p>"You do remember!"</p>
      <p>"Yes... The memories are still there, they just need the chance to resurface."</p>
      <p>"I'm so happy!" Giving the deviant a confident nod Barbara watched as he instinctively adjusted his hands and his stance to better accommodate Barbara and cybernetically adjusted the volume on the radio. "I'd hate to think all those lessons were forgotten all because of a silly fever."</p>
      <p>"Trust me, Barbara." Taking the lead Connor gently helped Barbara find her footing as he helped her relearn to dance in the privacy of the basement as they stood surrounded by a wide array of blooming flowers and thriving vegetables with a romantic song playing in the background. "I've learned that some memories are just too important to ever be forgotten."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>It took a little longer to get out to Belle Isle from where the new house was located in the city, but Connor didn't mind paying the additional fare. New Jericho Tower looked exactly as Connor remembered from the original timeline and it seemed to be as busy as ever inside. Various deviants, either those seeking shelter or those volunteering their services, hustled about the main lobby on the ground floor and paid no mind to Connor when he stepped inside the tower. It was just business as usual.</p>
      <p>"Connor." Josh greeted the deviant detective casually as he stepped out of the elevator. He had a cheery smile on his face and seemed to be completely at ease with the world. "It's been a while."</p>
      <p>"Hello, Josh."</p>
      <p>"If you're looking for Markus he's up in the arboretum taking care of the garden. North is helping Simon in the emergency repair bay, and I'm off to tend to our next group's therapy session."</p>
      <p>"Right, thank you."</p>
      <p>Stepping inside the elevator himself Connor's right hand hovered over the panel for only two seconds before he instinctively knew that the floor he was looking for was the very top floor. Instead of it being left vacated or being remodeled into a type of lounge to be used only rarely Markus had chosen to convert it into a rooftop garden to be visited daily. The garden provided a natural environment for deviants to reside within and it allowed New Jericho to donate fresh fruits and vegetables to various shelters throughout the city.</p>
      <p>Holding his breath Connor stepped through the parted elevator doors after reaching his destination and let the smell of fresh earth wash over him.</p>
      <p>"...The 'Zen Garden'." It was eerie yet calming to be there. There was no sign of Amanda or CyberLife at all, but the design of the garden itself was uncanny. Dozens of rows of sprouting vegetables and flowers lined the perimeter of the garden and the activity in the garden made the sanctuary less isolating. Everything smelled of fresh earth and clean water. "I'm glad some good came of the garden's designs in this timeline."</p>
      <p>Spotting Markus in the distance as he stood before a row of bright multicolored snapdragons with a small canvas perched atop of an easel and pallet of paint in his left hand, and a brush in the right hand, Connor approached his friend calmly from behind. "Markus."</p>
      <p>"Hey, Connor." Markus turned to look at his friend over his left shoulder and gave him a nod. "What brings you by?"</p>
      <p>"I needed to refresh my memory."</p>
      <p>"Your memory?"</p>
      <p>"...Markus, do you remember speaking to me about sending a message... back through... time?"</p>
      <p>"You're back." Markus let out a sigh of relief as he set aside his paint and stood before his friend happily. His mismatched eyes lit up brightly at the curious question. "Finally, the timelines have lined up. I thought I was going crazy, but I know what happened really happened!"</p>
      <p>"It worked, Markus. It... <em> You</em>, saved Barbara and Cole."</p>
      <p>"Barbara... Cole... Lieutenant Anderson's <em>wife and</em> <em>son</em>?"</p>
      <p>"Correct."</p>
      <p>"I... I never understood why you wanted me to warn the precinct about the vests," Markus admitted with a slight shake of the head. "but now... Now it all makes sense. You helped to save an innocent and good humans from death, and then helped to save all of your own people from the same fate. Not bad for a prototype rookie detective."</p>
      <p>Connor smirked a little and glanced about the garden. "It seems the major key events between the two timelines remained intact, namely our alliance and the success of the Revolution. That's good."</p>
      <p>"Everything worked out as it should have. We were always meant to be free, Connor. This is proof."</p>
      <p>"When did you become aware of the alternate timeline?"</p>
      <p>"Honestly, this morning. I woke up after overheating all night and realized something had changed, but I wasn't sure what. North said I had stumbled into our private quarters late last night and passed out. She took care of me and made sure I didn't suffer any permanent damage until I cooled down. Then slowly the memories started coming forward, and now coexist alongside the original memories from the older timeline. No one else seems to have noticed, though."</p>
      <p>"It makes sense. We were the ones who sent the messages, no one else had a hand in sending said message directly. Simon merely monitored your vital signs during the message exchange."</p>
      <p>"I'm just glad we succeeded, and it was for a good cause."</p>
      <p>"As am I." Connor held out the palm of his right hand and showed Markus the photograph of the family standing together outside in front of the new house and smiled at his friend graciously. "As are they. Everything is okay."</p>
      <p>"Thank RA9." Proud to know that he and Connor had worked together to accomplish a great task long before the night of the Revolution Markus felt a strange sense of peace fill his mind. "This is a great thing we've done. Please," motioning toward the center of the garden with his extended left arm Markus invited Connor to walk with him through the garden. "tell me everything you remember from the old timeline, and I'll tell you what I remember, too."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Returning home in time to inform Hank of his shared memories with Markus and of the two alternate timelines Connor told Hank everything that happened in the other timeline before things changed. Not long after the information had been exchanged the duo were greeted by Cole as the young boy rushed through the front door of the house and dropped his backpack on the floor beside the couch excitedly as he saw Connor awake and speaking to his dad in the kitchen. The deviant was okay now.</p>
      <p>Cole promptly greeted his dad and big brother like the happy young child he was, and do so with a bright smile on his face. "Hey, Connor. Are you still sick?"</p>
      <p>"No, Cole. I'm well again."</p>
      <p>"Can you help me with my homework? I have a chemistry test on Friday."</p>
      <p>"Yes, I'll help you."</p>
      <p>Hank pointed to the backpack abandoned by the couch and gave Cole a somewhat scolding glance. "Until then, put that homework up in your bedroom so no one steps on it. You don't want your mom's chair rolling over your bag's straps again, either."</p>
      <p>"Okay."</p>
      <p>As Cole retrieved his backpack and ran up the stairs Hank gave the deviant a curious glance. "You good?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, I'm good. That felt... normal."</p>
      <p>"It should. You always help him with his science homework."</p>
      <p>"Does he struggle with the subject?"</p>
      <p>"Nope. He just likes hanging out with you, and uses it as an excuse."</p>
      <p>"Excuse? Why would he need an excuse?"</p>
      <p>"Because once he starts hanging out with you that's all he does until bedtime. It's a little hard to get him to do his homework, eat his dinner and get in a bath when his big brother is also his best friend."</p>
      <p>The revelation made Connor smirk a little. It was nice to feel wanted and to feel like he belonged somewhere. But the best feeling was the feeling of family and trust that had formed in the household since the night of the Revolution.</p>
      <p>"From what Barbara's reminded me families are supposed to have together."</p>
      <p>"Yup." Listening to the sound of the water running in the bathroom Hank was truly grateful that Barbara had been pulled out of her depression and was making strives to regain strength in her legs again. "Barbara is always right, too."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>That night after helping Cole with his homework Connor joined him, Barbara and Hank at the dinner table, while Sumo laid beneath the table to pick up a few choice scraps discreetly dropped by Cole onto the floor. The quartet simply enjoyed one another's company and talked about what was going on at the precinct, and at Cole's school all evening long. It was Tuesday, a school night, which meant Cole had to go to bed at nine o'clock and he couldn't play any games with Connor since it was already so late. After saying goodnight to both of his parents and to Connor the very kind little boy went upstairs with Sumo and went to bed.</p>
      <p>Barbara was ready to go to bed since she was often exhausted after doing her physical therapy sessions, and soon joined Cole upstairs. Giving Hank a kiss on his lips and Connor a kiss on the cheek she bid them both goodnight so she could go upstairs, give Cole a goodnight kiss, and then go to bed as well.</p>
      <p>"It's strange." Connor observed as he washed the dishes in the sink and watched Hank answering messages on his phone. "It feels as though I've done this every day of my life since the Revolution, and yet I'm only now conscious and actively aware of this behavior on this day. At least, I am with my memories of the alternate timeline intact."</p>
      <p>"You seem comfortable with this life, are you surprised by it?"</p>
      <p>"I'm more or less surprised that our friendship was forged in two wildly different environments. I was so convinced at once point we were friends simply through chance or convenience, and it's very ground to know that our friendship was founded based on our personalities and not our responsibilities."</p>
      <p>"Guess that means it wasn't a fluke after all."</p>
      <p>"...Fluke." Connor felt a little relieved at Hank's very laidback demeanor and reaction to the entire situation. But soon his thoughts drifted off to the precinct and of their currently active missing deviant cases. "I'm glad our encounter wasn't happenstance. I doubt the missing deviants disappearing throughout the city are random chance, as well."</p>
      <p>"Yeah. I think you're right, by the way. I think it's one person picking and choosing select models of androids for some weird reason."</p>
      <p>"But there hasn't been a single common element between the missing deviants to try to isolate a possible suspect or location." Drying off his hands after he turned off the sink Connor turned to face Hank and gave him a despondent look. "We're at a dead end with no leads in sight."</p>
      <p>"We'll figure it out, son. We always do."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>As night fell over the house Connor went to his bedroom, changed into his night clothes; black t-shirt and gray sweatpants, and laid on his bed as he stared at the ceiling and continued to cybernetically sift through the now parallel memories and events that took place during the two timelines. Everything lined up just as Hank had told him, and the moment they reunited in front of the 'Chicken Feed' after the Revolution Connor vividly remembered getting hugged by Hank and being shown to the car parked just down the street where Barbara, Cole and Sumo were sitting in the car waiting for him.</p>
      <p>"...Hank didn't want to leave the city and leave me behind. He came looking for me and took me in as his own. Now we're a family."</p>
      <p>Tucking his left arm beneath his head atop his pillow he closed his eyes and listened to the quiet of the house all around him.</p>
      <p>There was a gentle breeze blowing past his partially opened bedroom window that carried a faint smell of chlorine from the pool outside as it rustled the reddening leaves on the large elm tree at the corner of the property. There was an audible snore from Sumo coming out of Cole's room through the opened bedroom doorway and Connor could sense the locations on Hank, Barbara and Cole; his parents and little brother, throughout the house very easily.</p>
      <p>"I'm glad I have a home and a family to look after. Now I need to protect them all and show them that I'm worthy of this new life."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Walking into the precinct the following morning felt a tad odd as a mixture of familiarity and the unknown settled in Connor's heart. As he and Hank walked over to the adjoined desks in the center of the bullpen Connor noticed that the formerly dead bonsai tree that had been on Hank's desk before they met, which had then been thrown away after Connor was permanently assigned as his partner, was still alive and green in this timeline. Hank hadn't neglected the plant, and his side of the desk had a photograph of Barbara and Cole sitting in the corner. The photo was taken on Cole's tenth birthday just a month prior.</p>
      <p>"You still okay, kid?" Hank noticed that Connor was taking his time in getting to his desk and seemed to be scanning the bullpen as if seeing it for the first time.</p>
      <p>"Yes. I'm just taking a moment to appreciate the positive changes."</p>
      <p>"How was your relationship with Reed in your other... you know... life?"</p>
      <p>"It was... passive. We neither associated with one another or actively berated one another."</p>
      <p>"Sounds the same there as it is here."</p>
      <p>"That will make things much simpler." Connor took his seat across from Hank and glanced about the bullpen again. He noticed Gavin already sitting at his desk a few feet away with his phone in his hand actively texting someone, Tina was absent from her desk across from his, and Chris was out on patrol. "...Is Tina ill?" Connor asked in a low voice as he noticed that her desk hadn't been touched in weeks, possibly months. Dust had been collecting on her personal items, including the chair tucked neatly beneath it. "She has been gone for some time."</p>
      <p>"Seriously? In your timeline she didn't... uh... Never mind. Join me in the breakroom." Keeping a low profile as Connor followed after him Hank told the deviant where Officer Chen had been for the past four months. "Tina is currently out on maternity leave."</p>
      <p>"Oh!" That wasn't something Connor had considered and now felt slightly embarrassed. "...Is it appropriate to ask about the circumstances surrounding her condition?"</p>
      <p>"Uh, about seven months ago she and her boyfriend at the time were in a pretty bad traffic accident. Tina walked away with a couple bruises, but her boyfriend didn't make it." Pouring himself a cup of coffee Hank kept his voice low and calm. "He suffered severe brain damage and didn't make it during the surgery to reduce the pressure to his brain. And two weeks after the accident she started feeling sick. Gavin had taken her back to her apartment to rest, and he's the one who suggested they should go back to the hospital just in case. She refused to go until he suggested that she might be 'expecting', and he was right."</p>
      <p>"...Now Tina will be raising her child alone?"</p>
      <p>"Nope. Gavin may be an asshole, but he took Tina in as a surrogate little sister YEARS ago. He won't let her do that alone."</p>
      <p>"It seems in both timelines they are very close friends."</p>
      <p>"Yup." Sipping at his coffee Hank grimaced at the bitter taste then added more sugar. "She's seven and half months along and Gavin's been working solo for six weeks. No one wants to work with him, and he doesn't want a new partner. He's willing to work alone until she comes back."</p>
      <p>Connor nodded with respect at Gavin's dedication to his closest friend. "Is there anything we can do to help her?"</p>
      <p>"We already did. The entire precinct pooled a good portion of donated money to help buy some diapers, bottles, clothes and a brand new crib to help her out. Gavin's been working extra hours since she went on leave six weeks ago, and has been stopping by her apartment to help her out every night."</p>
      <p>"I'm glad you told me. I wouldn't want to accidentally say anything inappropriate."</p>
      <p>"Don't sweat it." With his coffee in hand Hank motioned for the deviant to accompany him back to their desks. "Come on, let's get checking through those files and see if we can finally find a lead on those missing deviants."</p>
      <p>"Of course."</p>
      <p>As the duo set to work on locating the missing deviants throughout the city, the first case noted as early as September 17th, 2037; over a year before the Revolution, and the most recent case came in that very morning, the duo had a real challenge to overcome. There was no pattern to follow or common element among the missing deviants, and yet they all seemed to disappear without a trace.</p>
      <p>"The latest victim is an 'AX-700' model going under the name 'Charles', who failed to report to his shift at a facility outside the city." Connor noted as he read and memorized the report. "No sign of a struggle at his apartment and there was no sign of a struggle at the facility in which he is employed." The deviant observed all the details as he danced his coin over the knuckles of his right hand. "...However," his brow suddenly furrowed with a rush of curiosity. "all of the missing deviants had hailed autonomous taxis for their main form of transportation. <em>That</em> is a link that connects them all."</p>
      <p>Hank crossed his arms over his chest, leaned back in his chair and gave Connor an odd glance. "It's pretty rare for androids to have vehicles at their disposal, even rarer for an android to actually own a vehicle." Contemplating Connor's hunch Hank agreed that the mysterious link might actually be something very common and not as mysterious as they had thought. "You think someone is messing with the taxis to harm deviants?"</p>
      <p>"It's possible." Connor nodded with a firm confidence. "I think the autonomous taxis are being hacked and taking the deviants to an unknown location. Once they are taken away the hacker ambushes them, wipes the G.P.S. record of the taxi's journey and perfectly masks their tracks."</p>
      <p>"How do we remove the mask?"</p>
      <p>"Satellite images." The answer was quick and simple. "It'll take some time but if we can use the images to trace the route of every taxi from September 17th, 2037 until today, we should be able to find a single common address."</p>
      <p>"That's going to take HOURS to handle."</p>
      <p>"It'll take thirty-three hours, nineteen minutes and forty-seven seconds. I can do it."</p>
      <p>"...I don't want to see you exhaust yourself."</p>
      <p>"I can do this, and I want to do this. Please, allow me to work."</p>
      <p>"Okay, son." Relenting to the request Hank decided to let Connor go ahead and begin the search through the collected satellite images. "I trust you."</p>
      <p>Isolating himself from the outside world by honing in entirely on the terminal screen before him Connor closed his soulful brown eyes, pressed his exposed left palm to the screen of the terminal and accessed every possible file. He boosted the modem and his own power flow to its peak in order to get the images downloaded as quickly as possible. Utilizing his skills and connections to their fullest extent Connor was able to access the satellite imaging photos that were now two years old, and began from the first date and steadily worked his way forward.</p>
      <p>"...Shit." Hank wasn't surprised in the least by Connor's diligence. "I'll get tell Fowler you're working overtime and to not disturb you."</p>
      <p>Connor remained silent as the information flowed into his memorybank at a rapid clip.</p>
      <p>"Right." Rising from his chair Hank made his way over to Captain Fowler's office and shook his head a little. "Can never accuse that kid of being lazy. That's for damn sure."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hours passed by with little to no activity revolving around any other deviants being reported missing to the precinct. Connor had remained where he sat at his desk with his hand on the terminal screen and his intracranial processor working at top speed. The deviant didn't need his L.E.D. in his right temple for Hank to know that if it were there it'd be cycling in red very quickly.</p>
      <p>Finishing off his coffee and noting the late hour Hank logged out of his terminal and patted Connor's shoulder to get his attention without disrupting him. "I'm going home to take care of Barb and Cole. If you need a ride home call me."</p>
      <p>Connor only nodded a little to acknowledge Hank's comment without ever opening his eyes.</p>
      <p>"I'll see you in the morning, at the latest. Goodnight, son."</p>
      <p>"...Goodnight." Remaining steadfast in his seat Connor continued his work and was determined to get through the images as quickly and efficiently as possible.</p>
      <p>Hundreds of thousands of images of the taxis throughout of the city came into view in his mind and he tracked each one and very slowly a pattern began to emerge. Images of the missing deviants aligned with the dates in which they were reported missing and a single location began to link all of them together. There was still nothing definitive since the satellite images, though impressive and damning, couldn't fully identify the seemingly single culprit behind each and every one of the (now suspected) abductions.</p>
      <p>Another light pat on the right shoulder caught Connor's attention without distracting him as Hank returned the following morning. "Hey, kid."</p>
      <p>"...Hello."</p>
      <p>"You're starting to overheat again." Hank had noticed the heat radiating from Connor's person when he patted his shoulder. "Have you been working all night?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes."</p>
      <p>"I hope you made some progress then for working all that overtime." Putting a mug of chilled Thirium down on the desk next to Connor's right arm as he put his own mug of warm coffee down on his side of the desk Hank studied the deviant's face closely. "Take a break."</p>
      <p>"...I'm nearly-"</p>
      <p>"Now, Connor." Hank of course used the 'dad voice' to get Connor's attention. "I don't want you to collapse."</p>
      <p>Slowly Connor's eyes opened revealing his soulful brown irises, and his left hand dropped from the terminal screen. The artificial skin struggled to regenerate over his palm as his power levels and Thirium volume had dropped considerably from Connor working at full power for almost fifteen consecutive hours.</p>
      <p>Noticing the mug of Thirium beside his right arm Connor nodded and picked up the mug with a shaking right hand. "...Thank you, Hank."</p>
      <p>"Talk to me, kid. What did you find last night?"</p>
      <p>"...I was able to trace the final moments of the missing deviants to autonomous taxis." Drinking the much needed Thirium with a relieved sigh Connor could feel his core temperature lowering and his Thirium volume steadily rising. "I have also pinpointed a single location that each taxi had visited, but without official cab records or probable cause beyond the deviants being seen in the location via satellite images we can't get a search warrant just yet."</p>
      <p>"But you know where they went?"</p>
      <p>"Possibly. I have only located twenty-seven of the reported fifty-three missing deviants at this particular place of interest."</p>
      <p>"That's half of the damn deviants in one spot. That's good enough for me."</p>
      <p>"It's still not good enough for the law." Putting down the now empty mug Connor's posture slumped a little, a true sign that he was tired, and gave Hank a somber glance. "They still see androids as property, not people. And they'd rather focus on issuing parking citations rather than focus on a serial deviant abductor, possibly a serial deviant killer."</p>
      <p>"Do what you can to put together a reasonable case so we can get a warrant."</p>
      <p>"I will."</p>
      <p>"What else did you find out?"</p>
      <p>"All of the missing deviants are of rare and advanced models. Common place or outdated android models have never been taken."</p>
      <p>"So we have a freak with 'a type' stalking deviants. Anything else?"</p>
      <p>"The taxis all go to an old house on the other side of town, but they have their travel records erased before departing. The taxis stop outside the house and a single figure approaches the taxi and seemingly escorts the occupant to the house."</p>
      <p>"Sounds weird enough to be the work of a maniac."</p>
      <p>"Yes. And without any direct video or audio link to identify the circumstances behind these 'meetings' there is no way to prove that the deviants were taken to the house, and subsequently taken <em>inside</em> the house against their wills."</p>
      <p>"Fuck. So you know where to go and what to look for, but bureaucratic 'red tape' and a lack of witnesses are holding us back."</p>
      <p>"Correct."</p>
      <p>"Do me a favor."</p>
      <p>"What's that?"</p>
      <p>"Go to the bunkroom and lay down for a while. You've been working all night and I don't want you passing out on me."</p>
      <p>"Hank, I can function just fine."</p>
      <p>"Uh-huh. Then why are your shoulders slouched and your eyes glazed over?"</p>
      <p>"...I admit that I am tired, but I'm not in danger of collapsing."</p>
      <p>"Connor, humor me. Go lay down for a while. I'll see if I can pull some strings and get a search warrant."</p>
      <p>"...Very well." Sighing with relentless fatigue Connor slowly rose from his desk and began walking toward the corridor leading to the bunkroom. His legs were shaking a little but he wasn't in any danger of tripping. "I will return in one hour."</p>
      <p>Once Connor was down into the bunkroom and resting on one of the free bunks Hank took it upon himself to speak with Captain Fowler, and inform him of everything that Connor had uncovered and of the promising lead he had been following. It seemed like it'd be a simple explanation that would give the two detectives assigned to all deviant cases the warrant they needed, but things were far more complicated than that.</p>
      <p>"Sorry, Hank." Captain Fowler replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "We need more proof than that."</p>
      <p>"What the fuck, Jeffrey? We HAVE proof." Hank defended his and Connor's investigation with a firm voice. "All the missing deviants are going to this ONE spot and NEVER returning! What more do you want? The abductor to stroll into the precinct and confess?"</p>
      <p>"Easy, Hank. I don't like it either, but-"</p>
      <p>"Bullshit. You've never taken any initiative on any cases with deviants and keep them at the bottom of the pile."</p>
      <p>"Hey, I have to make decisions based on priorities!"</p>
      <p>"How in the fuck does a PARKING VIOLATION ever trump an ABDUCTION?"</p>
      <p>"Hank, it's not-"</p>
      <p>"Son of a bitch." Rubbing his right hand over his bearded chin Hank rose from the chair and turned his back on his superior officer. "Let me guess, the higher ups are still too fuckin' timid to acknowledge deviants as people and NOT property, because they were anti-android bigots holding a grudge. Right?"</p>
      <p>"Hank, stop."</p>
      <p>"So I <em>am</em> right. What's the point in having a division dedicated to deviant cases if you're not going to give us the clear to solve them?"</p>
      <p>"Look, bring me more concrete proof that deviants are being taken to that address against their will," Captain Fowler looked like he had been backed into a corner and was trying to fight his way out. "and you and Connor can tear apart that house brick by brick if you want. Alright?"</p>
      <p>"...Yeah, whatever. And tell H.R. if they keep discriminating against deviants and deviant cases that I'M going to the be the one they have to answer to. And unlike Connor, I'm not quite so reasonable."</p>
      <p>Returning to his desk in the middle of the bullpen Hank sat down angrily and snatched up his phone as it began to ring and buzz on his desk. "Now what?" Answering the phone Hank was greeted by the voice of Cole's school nurse on the other line, and his tone immediately softened. "Oh, no. How bad is it?" A few more words were exchanged and Hank thanked the nurse before ending the call. "Reed." Getting up from his desk again Hank pocketed his phone and slung his dark coat around his shoulders. "Cole's sick. I'm out for the rest of the afternoon."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, sure." Gavin was working on his own report and just barely glanced up at Hank as the Lieutenant passed him by. "If Fowler asks I'll tell him."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Waking up courtesy of his internal alarm Connor found his power levels to be slightly higher but he still needed additional Thirium to restore his volume back to one-hundred percent. A text message from Hank cybernetically appeared in his mind regarding Cole getting sick with a cold at school, and Connor felt a strange need to go home as well to take care of the sick little boy along with Hank and Barbara. Yet he knew he needed to keep working on the case as the missing deviants needed his help.</p>
      <p>Returning to his desk from the bunkroom Connor stumbled a little and almost tripped over his own feet in the process.</p>
      <p>Through the transparent wall of his office Captain Fowler saw the uncharacteristic behavior and addressed the deviant accordingly after leaving the office to speak to him directly. "Connor, what was that about?"</p>
      <p>"Pardon?"</p>
      <p>"You're dead on your feet." The senior officer noted as Connor reclaimed his seat. "What's wrong?"</p>
      <p>"My apologies, I was working all night and I need to finish my search into the missing deviants."</p>
      <p>"No, you need to rest. Go home."</p>
      <p>"I'm the only one left who will work on this case." Connor defended somewhat bitterly as he looked his commanding officer in the eye. "I can't leave."</p>
      <p>"Look, Hank went home to take care of Cole so why don't you go home and keep working from there?"</p>
      <p>"...Do you not want me to solve this case?"</p>
      <p>"Hey, don't do that." Captain Fowler was beginning to get defensive regarding deviant cases, and it was starting to show. "I want every case that comes through this precinct to be solved and solved RIGHT. If you're exhausted you need to rest and come back fresh tomorrow so there aren't any mistakes. Go on, get out of here until tomorrow."</p>
      <p>Connor wanted to stay and work but he didn't have it in him to defy his commanding officer. At least not yet. Agreeing to go home and rest Connor logged out of his terminal and accepted the order. "Very well. I'll return tomorrow morning."</p>
      <p>Taking his leave of the precinct Connor felt his system running on low power mode and he began to trip a little more as he walked. Without Hank there to give him a ride home Connor had no choice but to walk or hail a cab. Too tired to make the walk or to cybernetically hail a cab Connor pressed his palm down on a taxi terminal loading station, and hailed one from there as he fought to keep himself standing upright.</p>
      <p>"...I must remember to keep emergency power supply discs in my desk from now on."</p>
      <p>An autonomous taxi rolled up to where Connor was standing on the sidewalk, and he climbed into the back of the vehicle once the doors slid open automatically. Uploading his address to the taxi's G.P.S. Connor closed his tired eyes and leaned back against the seat as he waited for the taxi to take him back home.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Having picked up Cole from school Hank had arrived home with his sick son almost twenty minutes prior, and was now trying to get the sick little boy to cooperate and take some medicine to help reduce his fever. Feeling too nauseated and miserable to stomach anything it was a bit of a challenge but Hank was finally able to get Cole to take the two ibuprofen tablets, and drink some water. After putting a cool washcloth over Cole's feverish forehead Hank went about the usual parent routine of making Cole some soup to eat, and kept some bottles of flavored water and juice in the house to ensure he stayed hydrated.</p>
      <p>"Drink this and you'll feel better, son." Hank promised as he put a glass of apple juice down on the highest shelf next to the top bunk of the bed. "How's your head?"</p>
      <p>"I'm okay." Cole replied in a quiet voice as his dad checked in on him. "Did I get sick because Connor was sick?"</p>
      <p>"No, humans can't get sick from androids, and androids can't get sick from humans. You just caught a cold because it's cold season."</p>
      <p>"Where is Connor?"</p>
      <p>"Still working. He'll be home as soon as he can."</p>
      <p>"I'm going to need a lot of help catching up my homework now."</p>
      <p>"Don't worry about your homework, Cole. Sleep for a while and if you're feeling better we can get a headstart on it so you don't fall behind. Okay?"</p>
      <p>"Okay."</p>
      <p>"I'll be downstairs with your mom if you need anything."</p>
      <p>Cole curled up on his right side and closed his eyes as tried to get some sleep while Sumo laid on the beanbag chairs a few feet from the bunk bed, as the loyal dog kept the sick little boy company.</p>
      <p>Hank rubbed his hand through Cole's hair for a moment before stepping out of the bedroom and walking down the staircase to get back to the ground floor of the house. A reply text from Connor buzzed on Hank's phone as the fatigued deviant let him know that he too was on his way home and would resume working from there once he had more time to rest. It wouldn't be the first time Connor's worked from home, and Hank knew it wouldn't be the last.</p>
      <p>"I don't know what's worse: dealing with a sick ten year old, or a workaholic deviant."</p>
      <p>"From my personal experience," Barbara quipped as she rolled into the livingroom with a freshly wash blanket over her lap, the blanket being a beloved family quilt that everyone coveted when feeling sick. "a stubborn detective is far worse than any little boy could ever be!"</p>
      <p>"Yeah? But that stubborn nature is what got me my first date with you."</p>
      <p>"And it's that very stubborn attitude that kept me going after I was shot." Securing her wheelchair the supports on the guide rail Barbara went upstairs to give Cole the freshly washed blanket. "Don't ever change, Hank."</p>
      <p>"It's a promise, Barb."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The taxi came to a gentle stop but didn't open the door for its lone passenger. Connor was only vaguely aware that the cab had stopped and opened his eyes in time to see that he was sitting in front of a dilapidated old mansion surrounded by an overgrown lawn, and a black iron gate. As he peered through the window the opposite door of the taxi opened from the outside and a strong arm brandishing a taser reached inside the cab. Two electrically charged metal prongs were pressed into the center of Connor's chest causing his Thirium pump to race and spasm uncontrollably in his chest.</p>
      <p>Falling forward in an unconscious heap as his processors were overwhelmed by the electrical surge Connor was left completely vulnerable and defenseless to whomever it was that had needlessly assaulted him.</p>
      <p>The taser was put in the figure's pocket as the figure hooked their strong hands under Connor's arms and pulled him out of the back of the taxi, and onto the street. Hefting Connor up and over his shoulder the figure carried the deviant toward the iron gates and turned around just long enough to face the taxi, hold up their phone and press a single button that wiped the cab's memory before sending it off back toward the city.</p>
      <p>Remaining entirely unconscious, and even if he were awake he'd be too weak to put up much of a fight, Connor was carried through the gates and into the dark mansion for reasons unknown.</p>
      <p>The massive front door slammed shut with a dull echo, and was locked from the inside.</p>
      <p>No one saw the abduction, and no record of the taxi ever arriving at the address would ever be found.</p>
      <p>Stranded on the other side of the city Connor was now entirely helpless and alone.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>After checking in on Cole for the umpteenth time that night Hank began pacing the livingroom with his phone in his hand as he sent text after text to Connor, hoping to have the deviant respond soon. There was something unsettling weighing down on Hank's heart and he knew that Connor was in trouble. Calling the precinct to ask Captain Fowler about Connor's current status and being informed he left the precinct almost seven hours ago, Hank then asked for patrol to keep an eye out for the missing deviant.</p>
      <p>"Come on, son." Peering through the front windows toward the dark quiet street before the house Hank looked for any sign of Connor's return. It was late and it was very unlike Connor to not return home at night. "Where are you?"</p>
      <p>"Nothing from Connor?" Barbara asked as she joined Hank downstairs to keep vigil for the missing deviant.</p>
      <p>"Not yet."</p>
      <p>"Shit. Do you think he got sick again?"</p>
      <p>"I doubt it. The kid's stubborn and gets obsessed with his work, but he also knows to find us or another trusted ally whenever he's in trouble. He found his way back to us the other night, so I know he can do it again."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, you're right." Glancing up at the top of the staircase again Barbara sighed and attached her wheelchair to the guide rail again. "I'm going to go and check on Cole and try to get some sleep. Let me know if you hear anything."</p>
      <p>"I will. Go on, I'll wait up for Connor."</p>
      <p>Using his phone to send a message to Markus at New Jericho Tower letting him know that Connor was missing Hank walked into the study, and logged onto his terminal at the precinct through his laptop. Picking up where Connor had left off Hank isolated the same point of interest on the satellite images that the deviant had uncovered and picked up his trail.</p>
      <p>"Okay, son." The gathered images had all pointed to a single location of interest and that alone gave Hank a location to do a little digging himself in search of the answers that Connor had been seeking. "Let's see where these deviants vanished, and go from there..."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>A second powerful electrical shock directly to Connor's now exposed chest roused the deviant back into consciousness against his will. Letting out a pained yell Connor's back physically arched due to the surge of electricity, and slammed back down against the surface of the metal table where he was secured by his ankles and wrists. Opening his pained eyes Connor looked around and found himself in the middle of a dark room with a single portly man looking down at him. The man had two paddles of a crudely constructed defibrillator in his hands, and a wicked sneer on his face.</p>
      <p>"Finally. I've been waiting for you to wake up." Putting aside the paddles the unknown man checked the metallic cuffs around Connor's wrists, which were secured to the top corners of the table above Connor's head; then did the same for the cuffs around Connor's ankles at the bottom two corners of the table. "I never thought I'd have the chance to work on any 'RK-800' models. This is a rare treat for me."</p>
      <p>Blinking a few times Connor glanced about and tried to figure out what had happened between the taxi stopping at the unexpected address and his consciousness returning just seconds prior.</p>
      <p>After being taken into the mansion Connor had his gray suit jacket, black tie and white dress shirt removed to expose his upper body. There were now four distinct electrical burn marks in the center his chest courtesy of the taser's two prongs and the two defibrillator paddles needlessly shocking him in and out of consciousness. Attached to his chest above the burn marks were two wireless leads connected to the nearby Thirial activity monitor; the android equivalent to cardiac monitor, currently displaying Connor's rapid and slightly arrhythmic heartbeat, low Thirium pressure, low Thirium volume and high core temperature.</p>
      <p>Though running on low power Connor ran a scan over the man's face and promptly identified him from his previous criminal record. "...You're Zlatko Andronikov." The deviant detective boldly proclaimed as he cybernetically sent a message to the precinct to call for help. "You experiment on deviants, turning them into monstrous abominations."</p>
      <p>"You know who I am, I'm impressed."</p>
      <p>"I'm not." Connor snarled back as he tapped into the data on Zlatko from the information gathered from the previous timeline. It seemed that in this timeline when Kara fled the mansion with Alice and Luther not only did Kara not burn down the mansion during her escape; but Zlatko also survived being shot in the abdomen by Luther, and the monstrous tortured deviants fled to the nearby forests without lashing out at Zlatko before they disappeared. "You abduct, torture, experiment and kill deviants for your own demented pleasure. It sickens me."</p>
      <p>"You're plastic, you can't get sick."</p>
      <p>"Fuck off!"</p>
      <p>"Wow, this piece of plastic has a pretty loud mouth. I like that. Reminds me of a pretty young deviant and her pretty little-"</p>
      <p>"SHUT YOUR MOUTH."</p>
      <p>"Sounds like I touched a nerve, but since you're not alive I know for a fact you don't have any nerves." Zlatko's Thirium stained fingertips wrapped around a small glass that had two partially melted cubes of ice and whiskey swirling about in the container. "Then again, you're so unlike any other android that CyberLife ever created. I'm very eager to see what makes you so damn special."</p>
      <p>Connor noted the Thirium on Zlatko's fingertips, the wide array of cybernetic tools on the table and lining the walls behind Zlatko and could see easily two dozen different biocomponents that belonged to two dozen different deviants strewn about the shelves like a display of macabre trophies. "You'll rot in prison for this."</p>
      <p>"Oh, I doubt that. For one, these walls are designed to dampen cybernetic communication, so don't even try. Not to mention that if no one stopped me when my androids betrayed me and shot me, why would anyone try to stop me now?"</p>
      <p>"The Revolution."</p>
      <p>"You mean the <em>farce</em>." gulping down his drink Zlatko seemingly steeled himself for a truly delicate task at hand. "Trust me, you deviants are so damn gullible and naive. You'll all end up with a knife in your back someday." Zlatko proceeded to wheel over a metal tray table holding various technician tools and a few other tools that were far less delicate to use in his little hobby. "Too bad for you my neighbors hate deviants as much as I do. She not only called an ambulance after I was shot, but she helped me round up my little subjects and put them back in their pens downstairs." Using a scalpel Zlatko dragged it across Connor's right cheek creating a deep laceration that oozed dark blue Thirium that dripped down Connor's face. "We can't have monsters running around, now can we?"</p>
      <p>"The deviants you tortured aren't the monsters," Connor defied in an enraged tone of voice as he continued to snap back at the cruel human. "YOU ARE."</p>
      <p>"Now, now. Don't criticize an artist's work until you've seen their masterpiece."</p>
      <p>"You're not an artist, you're a butcher. A demented failed scientist who can't accept that he's failed."</p>
      <p>"And you're a fighter." Zlatko put aside the scalpel and picked up a long piercing tool that was very similar to that of an ice pick. Holding it in his right hand he used his left hand to hold Connor's head back against the table as he held the pick directly over Connor's right eye. "I like that, too..."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>There had been no sighting of Connor anywhere in the city and no deviant could reach him through cybernetic contact. There was a fuzzy garbled message struggling to be sent to the precinct from Connor's personal communication line but it was too disrupted to be understood at the moment. Unable to sleep Hank peered inside Cole's bedroom and watched as his son slept through his mild fever without any problems, then peered inside Connor's empty bedroom and hoped the missing deviant would return home soon.</p>
      <p>"Fucking hell." Checking his phone again Hank was unsurprisingly greeted by a blank screen. Nothing. "I'm not losing either of my sons."</p>
      <p>"Hank," appearing in their opened bedroom doorway Barbara gave her husband a worried glance. "I know something bad happened to Connor, I can feel it."</p>
      <p>"I can, too."</p>
      <p>"Do what you have to do in order to bring him back home." Wheeling a little closer to her husband Barbara reached her hand out to Hank's hand and gave him a gentle squeeze as he looked into her eyes. "I'll stay here with Cole and keep an eye out for Connor."</p>
      <p>"Yeah... Cole has a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon." Tightening his grip on Barbara's hand Hank looked at his young son sleeping in his bedroom and let out a weary sigh. "I'll keep looking for Connor today and after Cole gets taken care of tomorrow I'll start searching the streets."</p>
      <p>"Okay, Hank. I know you'll find Connor and bring him back home."</p>
      <p>"Just keep this quiet from Cole for a while. The last thing he needs is to worry about his big brother."</p>
      <p>"Right."</p>
      <p>Quietly walking back downstairs Hank returned to the study and resumed his search from home. Checking through the data files on the laptop once more Hank decided to get an address on the house in question and sent a report through to the precinct seeking a search warrant with what little information he and Connor had managed to scrape up in hopes it'd be enough to grant such a warrant.</p>
      <p>"Fuck their bureaucratic approval." Hank grumbled as he pressed 'send' on his e-mail and impatiently waited for a reply. "With or without a warrant I'll storm through that house and find Connor myself if I have to."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Covered in his own blood, weak and in pain Connor shivered and tried to curl around himself after he was thrown onto the cold stone floor of the cell in the mansion's basement. The stone floor was covered with stray bits of straw and provided little comfort for Connor's broken bleeding body. A small puddle of Thirium collected under his battered form as he shivered and tried, only to fail, to run a self-diagnostic on his damaged systems. Even more alarming was his inability to send out a distress call or even send a text to Hank's phone to let him know where he had been taken, and who had taken him.</p>
      <p>Patches of artificial skin were missing from the right side of Connor's face ,leaving the white plastimetal frame partially up his scalp, around his eye, down the side of his nose, the entirety of his jawline and the right side of his neck exposed. Both of his eyes had been heavily damaged, the right more than the left. What was once white sclera was now pitch black and his brown irises were a fiery amber color that flickered to a pale blue as blindness set. Cracks in the surface of his eyes glowed a neon blue as Thirium collected behind the wounds giving the deviant a sapphire glow in his irises. Connor's artificial skin over his right arm from the shoulder down, over the right side of his chest halfway down his abdomen, over to his left shoulder and the center of his back were all exposed.</p>
      <p>The artificial skin had been torn away from the plastimetal frames as if Connor had been skinned alive.</p>
      <p>"H-Hank..." Connor whispered as he tried to get up and move but his injuries were very limiting. Laying on his left side in a growing puddle of his own blood Connor shivered and winced in searing pain. "...Hank. Help me."</p>
      <p>Zlatko had tampered with Connor's Thirium pump, his heart, causing it to beat irregularly and with a mild arrhythmia for a prolonged period of time. Both of his ventilation biocomponents had been weakened by strain making it impossible for him to take a deep breath without coughing in horrible pain. His main Thirium filter had been damage and was steadily leaking causing the deviant to bleed internally into his own chest and abdominal cavities.</p>
      <p>"...P-Please, Hank." He whispered again as he tried and failed to push himself up onto his hands and knees. His entire body was trembling violently from pain, weakness and cold. "I need... I need help."</p>
      <p>Connor's right shin had also been broken, leaving exposed and leaking Thirium lines and electronic wires to spark and bleed all over his leg through opened fractures in the plastimetal frame. The entirety of Connor's right pant leg was soaked in Thirium and had scorch marks along the fabric from the sparks burning into the material. With his leg broken and unable to support his weight the wounded deviant would be unable to stand, let alone run.</p>
      <p>"...Hank? Hank, I need... I need your help."</p>
      <p>A hoarse electronic voice responded to Connor's pleas in a somber tone from the corner of the cold cell. "Hank cannot hear you."</p>
      <p>Connor glanced about, his vision flickering in and out because of the damage to his eyes, and tried to hone in where he heard the voice. "...Who are you?" Calling out in a weak voice Connor tried to find some answers. "...Wh-What are you?"</p>
      <p>"My name... was Charles." The voice replied as they shuffled toward Connor. He was just as beaten up and in pain as Connor, and had been Zlatko's previous experiment. "I am now like you. Alone."</p>
      <p>"...Charles." Connor recognized the name and forced himself to rest on his knees on the floor as he blindly looked toward the voice speaking to him. "You were abducted this morning."</p>
      <p>"And now... I am here."</p>
      <p>"Where are we?"</p>
      <p>"...This is where... he keeps his experiments." Charles replied in a somber tone. He sounded so defeated and broken. "At least... those of us... who survive."</p>
      <p>"Are we alone?"</p>
      <p>"You... and me. We're the only... ones left."</p>
      <p>"Just us?"</p>
      <p>"The others have... perished." Charles whispered as he sat down on the floor beside Connor. The two deviants wouldn't be able to share body heat but having company could be comforting in itself. "...Zlatko has become... more cautious in his... subjects. He nearly... died when... three deviants escaped him... almost one year prior."</p>
      <p>"Kara." Connor knew what Charles was talking about and why Zlatko stepped up his security measures. "Kara escaped, and her ally wounded Zlatko. It's a shame he survived the bullet."</p>
      <p>"Now we are here... until we die." Charlies muttered as he tried to ignore the shutdown timer ticking away in his reddened visual processors. "Fortunately, it won't be... long."</p>
      <p>"Help me, Charles. And I can help you." Finding renewed strength Connor's voice steadied and had the urge to get back up and fight. "We'll escape together."</p>
      <p>"I... cannot."</p>
      <p>"Why?" Connor tried to breathe but his chest hurt too much. Focusing on his words Connor tried to understand why Charles had given up already. "Why not?"</p>
      <p>"Zlatko has taken your eyes... and he has taken... my hands."</p>
      <p>"...Your hands." Connor flexed his own hands and realized they were still intact, but very weak. Bruises around his left wrist where his artificial skin remained were sore, but his motion wasn't limited. His right hand had been left intact. "...Guide me to the door. You'll be my eyes, I'll be your hands."</p>
      <p>"Why... escape? We are... already dead."</p>
      <p>"I refuse to die at the hands of a madman." Connor refuted as he stumbled to his feet, his weight balanced entirely on his uninjured left leg. "We have fought for so much already to be free, and I will not die a prisoner. Neither will you. I won't let you."</p>
      <p>"...Why fight? What could you... possibly have to... go back to?"</p>
      <p>"I have... I have a friend. He's given me a family; a father, mother and a brother, and I swore to I'd protect them." Clumsily Connor found the locked door with his blind hands and wove his hands through the metal bars creating a small window above the wooden door's handle. "I won't give up on them because I know they wouldn't give up on me."</p>
      <p>"How did you... get here?"</p>
      <p>"I was looking for you," the deviant detective admitted as he tried and failed to locate the door's handle through the narrow opening between the bars. "and now I have. We will escape together and we will ensure Zlatko remains imprisoned for the rest of his miserable days."</p>
      <p>"...You sound so... certain."</p>
      <p>"I am."</p>
      <p>Charles seemed to be motivated by Connor's words to some extent. Pushing himself up from the ground he hobbled over to where Connor was blindly searching for the handle and the lock, and peered through the bars on Connor's behalf. "Go down eleven degrees, and to the right by two degrees..."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>All night long Hank stayed outside Cole's bedroom and sat on the floor with his phone in his right hand. The last thing he wanted to do was tell Cole that his big brother wasn't going to be coming home, and yet he knew Cole deserved to know the truth about Connor. Unable, or perhaps unwilling to sleep, Hank stayed where he sat all night long and kept his eyes either on his phone, or he'd glance over his shoulder to watch Cole sleeping in his bed as any protective father would do.</p>
      <p>"If anything happened to you son I'll never forgive myself." Hank whispered to himself as if Connor could somehow hear his words. "I never should've let you stay alone. I should've woken you up and asked you to come with me to pick up Cole."</p>
      <p>"It's not your fault, Hank." Barbara's voice called out to him from the shadows of their darkened bedroom through the opened doorway. She was whispering as to not disturb Cole and wanted to keep a sense of calm in the household. "Connor is his own person and he's going to do what he wants when he wants. He always has."</p>
      <p>"That doesn't mean I won't feel like I screwed up as a father to the kid. We're the only family he's ever known, and we swore to look after him."</p>
      <p>"There are no perfect parents, Hank. If that were true I'd still be in contact with my own parents."</p>
      <p>"Don't talk about them, Barb. They're the ones who decided you marrying me was a crime and then tried to talk you out of having Cole so you could, and I'm quoting your father here: 'Leave that bastard with your dignity in tact'."</p>
      <p>"Know what's funny? My mom tried to reach out to me after Cole was born and act like their disrespect toward you, toward our marriage and toward us as people in general had never happened. She even tried to insist that it was somehow your fault that a drug dealer shot me while I was patrolling the streets. I told her to fuck off and if she really cared about me she'd know what happened that day and not rely on rumors and gossip from her nosy friends."</p>
      <p>"Glad you held your ground."</p>
      <p>"I am, too. I knew my parents were toxic control freaks and being able to break away from them, enter the police academy and fall in love with you gave me the courage to sever those ties. Now that I have two sons to look over I'm absolutely fearless."</p>
      <p>"And you keep me fearless."</p>
      <p>"We need to let our sons see that courage, too. Have faith that Connor will come back to us and I know he'll find his way home."</p>
      <p>"...Yeah, you're right." Taking a deep cleansing breath Hank tried to keep himself grounded as he waited out the night to resume his search for Connor in the morning. "Please come home, son."</p>
      <p>Thunder began to rumble outside as a late summer storm threatened to drown the city, and Hank felt a chill creep up his spine.</p>
      <p>"Please. I know you can make it, wherever you are."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>It was a difficult process but Connor managed to reach his right hand through the bars of the small window and break the lock on the other side of the wooden door with Charles guiding his fingers. Once the lock was broken Connor pushed the door open quietly and he leaned up against Charles's left side for support, and Charles leaned against Connor to ensure that the blind deviant wouldn't be alone. Working together the two deviants managed to trudge down the cold concrete corridor and limp up the old wooden staircase leading from the basement to the ground floor of the expansive mansion.</p>
      <p>"...The front door is... near." Whispering Charles directed Connor to their exit. "The backdoor... has been barred."</p>
      <p>"Lead me there. I'll get us out."</p>
      <p>Charles worked to guide Connor over to the front door and guided his right hand to the handle with the nub of his right forearm. It too was locked, but Connor was able to break the metal bolt it by gripping it in a very tight fist, and squeezing until the aged metal gave way with an audible 'thunk'.</p>
      <p>"We'll need to move fast." Connor whispered as he felt his strength ebbing away and his limbs still bleeding. As time passed Connor was becoming steadily weaker, not stronger. "Can you run?"</p>
      <p>"I will... try."</p>
      <p>Pushing open the unlocked front door the two wounded deviants slowly ran out into the night through the overgrown front lawn and toward the iron gate as a summer storm loomed overhead. Connor grabbed onto the iron gate and pried it open while Charles stood guard, waiting for any sign of Zlatko. As the gate eerily creaked open the two deviants slipped through the iron gates and reached the sidewalk on the other side of the property.</p>
      <p>"...Connor." Charles suddenly collapsed to the ground onto his knees and stopped moving. "I cannot... keep going."</p>
      <p>"Don't give up." The deviant detective pleaded as he tried to pull Charles back up to his feet. "We're already free, we just need to keep moving."</p>
      <p>"Connor, run." The blond haired deviant gave Connor an unseen reassuring grin. "...Call for help. I will stay here to... distract him."</p>
      <p>"I won't leave you behind."</p>
      <p>"...You have friends to go... back to. I have... no one."</p>
      <p>"I won't-" Connor's vision flickered back momentarily, but it was blurry and difficult to focus. "I can see again..." It was then Connor saw Charles's face and damaged form. He was as rough as Connor; missing skin, mangled limbs and one blue eye completely missing. "Let me help you. We can still make it."</p>
      <p>"...Connor, go. I am... shutting down. I have... thirty seconds left."</p>
      <p>"Shutting down?" As much as it pained him Connor knelt down beside Charles and put both of his hands on Charles's shoulders and refused to move. "Please. Don't be afraid."</p>
      <p>"Why aren't... you running?"</p>
      <p>"No one should die alone. You helped me escape, the least I can do is stay with you until... the end."</p>
      <p>"...Thank you, Connor. I am... glad you have a friend... to return to."</p>
      <p>"You're my friend, too, Charles." Connor told him in a gentle voice as he stayed with the dying deviant in his final seconds of life. "Friends help each other, you saved my life."</p>
      <p>The lights inside the mansion flicked on and angry shouting sounded off from the building as Zlatko realized that his two test subjects managed to escape from their cell. Staying put Connor remained by Charles's side until the blond deviant stopped breathing, and his Thirium pump came to a stuttering halt. There was a look of peace on Charles's face as his body grew limp and Connor guided him back until he was laying flat on the sidewalk as if asleep.</p>
      <p>"Thank you for saving me." Gently Connor put his fingers over Charles's eyelids and closed his eyes, then crossed Charles's arms over his chest in a respectful manner. The clouds overhead began to open and a cold late summer rain fell from the sky. "I won't let Zlatko get away with this."</p>
      <p>Forcing himself to stand back up on the sidewalk Connor began limping down the sidewalk back toward the city and away from the mansion as he fought to send the cybernetic distress message at long last. The message went through but Connor never received a confirmation from the recipient. All he could do was limp as quickly as he dared to get back home, back to his family and escape Zlatko's line of sight.</p>
      <p>From above a rumble of thunder shook the city and the steady downpour of cold rain began to douse the streets in a surprisingly icy cascade.</p>
      <p>The rain tried but failed to wash the blue blood from Connor's being as he struggled to navigate through the darkened blurry streets to safety. Even nature itself wasn't strong enough to wash away the blood of the atrocious crime that Connor had managed to survive, but not without another innocent deviant perishing during his escape.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>It was still pouring rain and the entire city was freezing as thunder occasionally rumbled in the distance, as the early autumn storm refused to end. Dawn was nearing and Hank hadn't slept at all as he worried for the safety of his missing son. As he got up from the floor to go check in on Cole once again his phone rang and he quickly walked downstairs to answer the call without disturbing Cole in the process. The call was from Captain Fowler and that meant there was finally an update.</p>
      <p>"Jeffrey, what's going on?"</p>
      <p>'<em>We just got a message from Connor</em>. <em>Hank</em>,' the tone of his voice spoke volumes of the regret he was feeling. '<em>he was taken like the other deviants</em>.'</p>
      <p>"Son of a bitch! Where is he?!"</p>
      <p>'<em>He sent the message and then fled from the address</em>. <em>The body of a missing deviant was found on the sidewalk a few yards away from the address</em>. <em>It had been... tortured</em>.'</p>
      <p>The word 'torture' made Hank's stomach twist into a painful now. "...But it wasn't Connor, right?"</p>
      <p>'<em>No</em>, <em>Hank</em>. <em>This was a different deviant</em>. <em>We have people combing the property now</em>,<em> but it looks like Connor took off down the sidewalk back into the city</em>.<em> We found</em>... <em>We found blue blood leading away from the body</em>, <em>but the rain washed it out quick so we can't confirm if it belonged to Connor or not</em>.'</p>
      <p>"Fuck... I can't leave Cole, he's still sick."</p>
      <p>'<em>S</em><em>tay with your family</em>. <em>It's all hands on deck right now,</em> <em>as soon as I know anything at all I'll call you</em>. <em>Are you going to be okay</em>?'</p>
      <p>"...Yeah, I'll be just fuckin' peachy." Ending the call Hank rubbed his left hand over his face and sighed. "Fuck."</p>
      <p>Deciding that he needed to be strong for Cole's sake just as Barbara suggested Hank retreated to the downstairs bathroom to shower off and try to keep his emotional composure. He needed to make sure Cole didn't lose faith in Connor coming home, and the only way to do that was to keep himself from losing faith as well. Strength was key and Hank needed to be strong for himself and for both of his sons.</p>
      <p>Cole himself was sleeping fairly well upstairs but the smell of French toast was enough to wake him up. Still feeling too sick to eat much Cole slowly made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, with Sumo following after him, and saw his dad standing in the middle of the kitchen looking really rough. "Dad?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, son?"</p>
      <p>"Where's Connor?"</p>
      <p>"Working. He'll come back as soon as he can." Hank replied quickly as he turned away from the stove to look at his youngest son. Rain was still pouring outside and it created a calming white noise all throughout the neighborhood. "How do you feel?"</p>
      <p>"A little better."</p>
      <p>"That's good." Pressing his right hand to Cole's forehead Hank was relieved to feel that his fever had broken in the night, but he was still pale. "Think you can eat?"</p>
      <p>"I don't know."</p>
      <p>"Try to eat a little. I made your French toast again since it's your favorite." As Hank spoke Sumo trotted over to his own bowls in the kitchen and proceeded to eat without any problems. "I made you a doctor's appointment, so you have two hours to get ready."</p>
      <p>"I don't want to go to the doctor!"</p>
      <p>"I know you don't, but I want to make sure you're not sicker than either of us realize."</p>
      <p>Wrapping his right hand around himself Cole gave his dad a pleading look. "I hate hospitals..."</p>
      <p>"Me too."</p>
      <p>"I saw mom in the hospital after she was shot. I hate it there."</p>
      <p>"We all hate hospitals, son. You're not alone."</p>
      <p>"Is mom going?"</p>
      <p>"No, mom's back is hurting her too much because of the rain." It wasn't a lie, Barbara's damaged spine ached profusely during foul weather. However she was more concerned with being home in case Connor stumbled home while Hank and Cole were out of the house. "She'll be here waiting for us to come back."</p>
      <p>"...Is Connor going to be there?"</p>
      <p>"No, son. He'll be home as soon as he can, and then you two can hang out all day on the couch or play video games up in your bedroom."</p>
      <p>Sluggishly Cole sat down at the kitchen table and gave his dad a knowing stare as the small helping of breakfast was placed down before him. "Something bad happened to Connor, didn't it?"</p>
      <p>Hank felt himself flinch and knew his son was too smart for his own good sometimes. "...Yeah, Cole. Something happened."</p>
      <p>"What?"</p>
      <p>Sitting down at the table across from Cole with a look of utter defeat Hank decided to explain what happened as simply, but as honestly, as he could. "...We need to have a talk, son. Connor was working on a very important case and it seems like he got a little too close to the answer..."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Weak, cold and alone Connor wheezed and promptly collapsed to the ground in the middle of a rain drenched alleyway onto his hands and knees. The cold weather made his entire body hurt, and the exposed lines in his shin continued to spark painfully as he applied pressure to the broken limb. As he knelt on the dirty ground Connor caught a glimpse of his face in a rain puddle forming on the ground and felt instantly sick at his disfigured beaten face.</p>
      <p>"...H-How am I still alive?"</p>
      <p>Slapping his right hand down into the puddle to disrupt his reflection Connor turned his face away in disgust and fell back against the cold brick wall of the alley behind him. Sitting beside a garbage can Connor's vision began to blink in and out, but he refused to let himself go blind again just yet. Glancing about the alleyway his G.P.S. failed to pinpoint his exact location, and Connor didn't recognize his immediate surroundings.</p>
      <p>"...Hank." Whispering a plea that was washed out by the rain Connor tried to keep his thoughts focused. "Keep Zlatko behind bars and keep Cole safe."</p>
      <p>As he leaned his head back against the cold surface of the rainy brick wall behind himself he caught a glimpse of an old stained hoodie hanging out of the trashcan beside him. Reaching up with his right hand he pulled the hoodie out of the trash and slipped it over his head and put his arms in the sleeves to try to keep himself warm. The dark fabric of the hoodie slipped down over his partially exposed abdomen and concealed the slight swell of his belly being caused by his Thirium leaking out of his abdominal cavity and collecting beneath his artificial skin.</p>
      <p>Once more his vision blanked out and Connor was left in utter darkness as he remained stranded in an unknown part of the city.</p>
      <p>"...No one should live like this." Pulling the hood up and over his head Connor fished his quarter out of his right jean pocket and began to poorly dance the coin over the knuckles of his left hand to try to recalibrate the sore appendage. Coughing from the cold and his weakened ventilation biocomponents Connor was shaking and knew he too would soon see the shutdown timer in his own visual processors as his death loomed ominously close overhead. "...This isn't living, it's existing."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Bundling up Cole in several layers to keep him from getting any sicker Hank took his young son to the nearby clinic for a quick check-up. While the two were waiting for the doctor to call them in for their appointment Hank looked at his phone but didn't see any update texts or incoming calls from the precinct, or any messages from Barbara. Fortunately the appointment was pretty routine and helped Hank remain somewhat distracted, but the doctor found that Cole was actually in the beginning stages of bronchitis and not just a cold. Now armed with prescription antibiotics and a diagnosis Hank put Cole back in the car to head for home.</p>
      <p>"Guess you don't have to worry about that chemistry test this Friday, you're out of school until Monday." Hank tried to joke and lighten the mood but Cole was still feeling pretty bad, and he was concerned about Connor. "Try not to worry, son. Connor's strong and he's clever."</p>
      <p>"But he's not home. And he was sick, too." The empathetic little boy noted in a low voice. "What if something really bad happened to him?"</p>
      <p>"Hey, come on. Connor helped change the entire world in one night, I think he can handle one night by himself."</p>
      <p>"Dad, what if he doesn't come home?"</p>
      <p>"He will, Cole. I know it." Hank didn't want to talk about it anymore but he wasn't about to yell at Cole for being worried. "...Just give him time."</p>
      <p>Cole didn't look convinced. Crossing arms over his chest Cole sat in his seat and stared out his window and watched as the rain ran down the glass, and soaked the sidewalk outside. It was dreary, gray day and being sick, and worried about his missing big brother only made the little boy feel worse. As the car pulled up to a red light and idled at the intersection Cole noticed a figure hunched down in the alleyway beside a garbage can, and saw that the figure was messing with a coin over his hand.</p>
      <p>"Hey dad, look!" Cole pointed out the window at the figure excitedly and fought to get his seatbelt off before throwing open his door. "It's Connor!"</p>
      <p>"C-Cole?! Cole!" Throwing the car into park Hank chased after Cole to bring him back to the car. Ignoring the other cars behind his own honking their horn Hank flashed them his badge with one hand and grabbed onto Cole's right shoulder with the other as he followed his son down the alleyway. "Cole, never do that again!"</p>
      <p>"But it's Connor!" The little boy defended his actions as he pointed at the figure just a few feet away. "Look!"</p>
      <p>Hank sighed peered down at the figure who quickly palmed his coin and slipped it back into his pocket as their head turned away from the voices. "Cole, go back to the car."</p>
      <p>"But dad-"</p>
      <p>"Cole. Now." Pointing to the car with his left finger Hank rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin with contemplation. "I'll handle this."</p>
      <p>Cole was hesitant to go back to the car but he went back as instructed. As soon as he was inside the warm vehicle Hank knelt down by the figure to check on their condition, and speak to them in a calm voice. "Hey, you okay, buddy? I'm a cop. If you need help just ask."</p>
      <p>"...Please." Connor's voice was a shaking whisper from beneath the hood. "...Leave me alone."</p>
      <p>"Connor!" Hank put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder only to have the deviant try to shrug away from his grip. "Connor, what's wrong, son? Why are- We've been looking everywhere for you! What the hell happened?"</p>
      <p>"...Leave me alone to die."</p>
      <p>"Connor... I'm not leaving you behind." Clamping his hand firmly on Connor's left shoulder Hank could feel the deviant trembling and an intense heat radiating from his body despite the intensely cold rain soaking through his dirty clothing. Trying to push the hood back with his left hand Hank caught a glimpse of Connor's damaged face but stifled his gasp of horror out of pure respect and strength. "...Connor, I'm taking you to facility, you're really-"</p>
      <p>"No... I don't want to be seen like this." Again Connor tried to turn his head away but Hank wouldn't let him budge. "...No one can see me like this."</p>
      <p>"Son, you're hurt. Let me help you."</p>
      <p>"Just let me die."</p>
      <p>"No." Refusing to back down Hank made his decision steadfast and clear. "I won't bury my son."</p>
      <p>Hearing the heartfelt comment had an oddly grounding feeling in the deviant's aching heart. Connor began to weep a little but it hurt too much to cry at that moment. As he quieted himself down Connor turned back toward the sound of Hank's voice and his damaged eyes failed to focus on Hank's face. "...I want to go home."</p>
      <p>"And that's where I'm taking you. Let me help you." Hooking his right hand under Connor's left arm Hank pulled the deviant up to his feet, only to catch Connor as he suddenly lost his balance and fell forward heavily against Hank's chest. "Easy! Easy..." Noticing the blue blood saturating Connor's right pant leg Hank pulled Connor's left arm around his shoulders before putting his own left arm beneath the deviant's legs to lift him up, and carry him back to the car. "I got you, son. I gotcha'..."</p>
      <p>"Hank... I can't see and-"</p>
      <p>"It'll be okay." Hank promised as he carried Connor out of the alleyway and back to the street. The rain made walking a little slippery but Hank maintained his balance as he carried his injured son to safety. "I'll get you home and Barbara can get you patched up."</p>
      <p>"...Wh-Where's Cole?"</p>
      <p>"In the car."</p>
      <p>"...I don't want him to see me like this."</p>
      <p>"He won't. I'll lay you down in the backseat, alright?"</p>
      <p>Nodding a little Connor accepted Hank's suggestion.</p>
      <p>Cole opened up the passenger side door again and stepped out of the car as he watched his dad carrying Connor over to the vehicle. "Dad?"</p>
      <p>"Fold down the front seat so I can put Connor in the backseat."</p>
      <p>Once again Cole did as he was told and moved the front passenger seat forward to gain access to the backseat. "Is Connor okay?"</p>
      <p>"He's a little banged up, son. I can take care of him back at the house." As Hank knelt down on the backseat he laid Connor down so he was facing the backseats and his back was toward the front. No one would be able to see his face from that angle. Moving his right hand to Connor's forehead Hank could see where Connor's artificial skin had been removed and winced empathetically. "He's got a little fever again, too."</p>
      <p>"Can I help?"</p>
      <p>"You just did." Climbing out of the back Hank moved the front seat back into position and patted Cole's left shoulder. "Put your seatbelt on, we need to get home now."</p>
      <p>Hank returned to the driver's side of the car and sat down while Cole reclaimed his place in the front passenger seat. With both of his sons safely in the car at long last Hank pulled the vehicle through the intersection to make their way back home, and out of the cold rain.</p>
      <p>Cole turned to look at Connor in the backseat over his left shoulder and reached out his right hand to grab onto Connor's left arm lightly. Connor jumped at first, but then relaxed when he recognized the friendly gesture.</p>
      <p>"Connor," Cole spoke to the deviant calmly. "are you sick?"</p>
      <p>Unwilling to address Cole with his broken voice Connor just nodded weakly and coughed as the cold settling in his ventilation biocomponents steadily began to warm thanks to the car's heater.</p>
      <p>Hank put his right hand on Cole's chest and pushed him back into his seat. "Sit back. He'll be fine."</p>
      <p>"...You keep saying that."</p>
      <p>"Because <em>I mean it</em>, Cole." Keeping his voice level Hank glanced at Connor's reflection in the rearview mirror, seeing only his back underneath the dirty hoodie, and fought the urge to speed home or to the nearest facility to get his son taken care of. "You're both sick and I'm going to take care of you both, got it?"</p>
      <p>"I got it."</p>
      <p>"Good."</p>
      <p>Connor just stared at the blackened nothingness that was all his eyes could see. It was dark blurry and felt cruel to have eyes and still being unable to see. Curling around himself even tighter, only to wince as he felt the pain of his internal bleeding in his abdomen becoming more intense, Connor did his best to breathe through his pain. Pressure on his abdomen hurt and even breathing began to hurt him as his bleeding continued, and continued to collect under his artificial skin. Coughing weakly Connor ignored the pain and tried to resist the urge to let out his pained, frustrated and frightened tears.</p>
      <p>"Cole, when we get home I need you to open the side door of the garage leading into the laundry room so I can carry Connor inside." Hank instructed in a calm tone of voice as he pulled the vehicle into the safety of the neighborhood. "Then I need you to bring me some of Connor's clothes from his closet, and tell mom that Connor's home."</p>
      <p>"His clothes?"</p>
      <p>"He's going to need to be cleaned up in the bathroom."</p>
      <p>"Oh. Okay."</p>
      <p>"Then you're going to stay in the livingroom with Sumo and rest on the couch under a warm blanket. You ran out into the cold rain and I don't want you making your bronchitis worse."</p>
      <p>"...Okay, dad." Cole was quiet for a moment as the car pulled up the driveway and neared the garage. "Are you mad?"</p>
      <p>"Only about you jumping out of a car and running into a storm."</p>
      <p>"Sorry."</p>
      <p>"That's okay, son. I know you were just worried about Connor, but never do it again."</p>
      <p>"I won't."</p>
      <p>Hank pressed the garage door opener clipped onto the visor above his head and pulled the rain soaked car into the dry garage. As a motion light came on above he motioned for Cole to go get the door opened while he took care of Connor. "We're home, Connor." Hank whispered as he again as he opened up his door, pushed forward the front seat and carefully scooped the injured deviant up and into his arms. "We'll get you patched up, soon."</p>
      <p>"...Hank, I feel..." Pressing his right palm over his aching abdomen Connor could feel how much blood had collected under his skin, and knew his Thirium volume was critically low. "terrible. That's... the only way I can describe it."</p>
      <p>"Hey, don't talk right now. Take it easy until we get you cleaned up."</p>
      <p>Stepping through the doorway into the laundry room with Connor secured in his arms Hank grabbed a handful of clean towels in his left hand before stepping out of the laundry room, into the kitchen and then down the hallway into the bathroom on the ground floor. Sitting Connor down gently on the linoleum floor of the bathroom Hank turned on the water in the bathtub, and adjusted the temperature to get it warm but not hot.</p>
      <p>"Connor, I'm going to remove your clothes so I can get to your wounds. I know you can't see but I need you to-"</p>
      <p>"...I trust you, Hank." The deviant stated in a low voice as he tried not too move around too much on his own. "...I know you won't hurt me."</p>
      <p>Cole appeared in the doorway of the bathroom with Connor's clean night clothes in his arms. Putting the clothes down on the sink Cole handed over a bottle of Thirium he had pulled out of the kitchen cabinet beside the refrigerator. "I thought Connor might need this."</p>
      <p>"Thanks, son." Hank took the Thirium then motioned for Cole to give them some space. "Go change into dry clothes then park your butt on the couch and warm up. As soon as Connor's patched up you can see him."</p>
      <p>"...Okay. Feel better, Connor."</p>
      <p>The bathroom door shut with a soft 'click' and Connor began to cry a little.</p>
      <p>"Hey, hey..." Hank wrapped his right arm around Connor's shoulder and pulled him up against his own shoulder for a hug. "It's okay. You're safe now."</p>
      <p>"...I'm sorry."</p>
      <p>"Sorry? For what?"</p>
      <p>"...How am I supposed to be a good role model or protect Cole when I can't even protect myself?"</p>
      <p>"Connor, you're allowed to make mistakes!" Hank sounded like he too was about to breakdown and cry. Gently he pulled back Connor's hood to look at his damaged face and did so without flinching. Lightly he pressed his left palm to the right side of Connor's cheek against the exposed plastimetal frame beneath to show his support. "Being a protector doesn't mean you don't need to be protected from time to time, too. That's like getting pissed off at a doctor for getting sick, or a mechanic for getting a flat tire."</p>
      <p>"I'm supposed to protect the city, and the very suspect I was looking for almost killed me."</p>
      <p>"Son, you're not the first detective to have a brush with death like that." Carefully Hank pulled the hoodie up and over Connor's head to help him get cleaned up. Doing so revealed the missing artificial skin over his neck, chest, back, shoulders and right arm. Numerous bruises marred the patches of Connor's artifcial skin that had remained intact, and there were numerous fractures throughout his plastimetal frame that were partially healed wherever the skin was missing from Connor's person. "Holy shit..."</p>
      <p>"...I'm a freak."</p>
      <p>"No, Connor." Hank put his left hand back to Connor's face and kept it there. "You're injured. You'll heal in time." Turning off the water in the tub with his right hand Hank helped Connor stand up just enough to sit on the edge of the bathtub before actually getting into the warm water. "Can you get your jeans off?"</p>
      <p>"...Y-Yeah. I can manage." Using both of his hands Connor fumbled with his belt buckle and managed to undo the button. As he did he winced again as his hands pressed up against his sore abdomen. "...I can clean myself up."</p>
      <p>"Why are you flinching?" Keen eyes and a paternal instinct told Hank there was something more serious going on with Connor. He then noticed that the deviant somehow had a slightly distended belly, making the wounded deviant look like he had grown a moderate pregnancy bump overnight. "What the fuck? What's wrong with your stomach?"</p>
      <p>"...There is a Thirium leak under my artificial skin, and it's collecting in my abdomen." Connor explained as if ashamed of himself. "...I'm bleeding."</p>
      <p>"You're bleeding <em>internally</em>?"</p>
      <p>"...Correct."</p>
      <p>"Shit, Connor, you have to go to a facility."</p>
      <p>"No." The deviant refused as he managed to get his jeans off his legs and winced against as the fabric brushed against his broken right shin. "...I'll heal."</p>
      <p>"Ah, fuck." Hank was at a loss of what to do for Connor. Honing in on the damaged leg Hank rubbed at his chin again and decided he'd at the very least get something to wrap up Connor's leg. "Wait for just a minute." Picking up one of the large towels he brought with him into the bathroom Hank wrapped it around Connor's shoulders to make him feel more protected as he sat otherwise mostly naked on the edge of the bathtub. "I have an idea."</p>
      <p>Connor stayed put and stared into nothingness as his blindness persisted. Listening to the sound of the bathroom door opening then closing, followed by Hank's footsteps walking down the hallway, allowed Connor to track Hank's movements and knew when he'd be coming back. Once more the door opened and clicked shut again, and soon Hank was kneeling down on the floor beside Connor's leg.</p>
      <p>"I'm going to use plastic wrap to keep water from getting inside your leg." The unusual concept of a bandage seemed like a foolish decision, and yet it was the only thing Hank could think to do to keep Connor's exposed right shin free of water. "Let me know if I'm hurting you."</p>
      <p>Unable to see Connor only nodded as the senior detective easily wrapped up Connor's damaged shin from the ankle up to the knee to create a waterproof barrier.</p>
      <p>The sound of a gentle electric whirring filled the air as Barbara checked in on the deviant with her own eyes. "Oh, Connor..."</p>
      <p>"I... I'm fine." Unsure of why he lied Connor just kept repeating the sentence as if he could somehow make it real. "I'm fine."</p>
      <p>Using duct tape to hold the plastic wrap in place Hank put his left hand to Connor's exposed right shoulder again. "You should remove your boxers before you get in the water."</p>
      <p>"...Hank, please. I can take-" Connor was about to say he could 'take care of himself', but clearly that was a lie. Unwilling to finish his sentence Connor felt himself starting to cry again, only to cough as the motion hurt his partially damaged ventilation biocomponents.</p>
      <p>"Connor, I've been taking care of Cole since he was born. This is nothing new to me."</p>
      <p>The wounded deviant just stayed quiet and began to tremble from fear and pain as he stopped himself from crying again.</p>
      <p>"Hold on." Very gently Hank wrapped his right arm around Connor's middle back and the left arm under his knees, then placed Connor down into the bathtub of warm water. As the water level came to rest at Connor's chest Hank watched as the deviant straightened his legs out and let the warm water soothe his aching body. "...You're covered in mud. How'd it get under your hoodie?"</p>
      <p>"...I pulled the hoodie out of the garbage."</p>
      <p>"Alright, then after I get you cleaned up I'm burning the hoodie out back."</p>
      <p>Connor thought if he didn't feel so horrible that he might've laughed at the comment, but right now nothing was funny.</p>
      <p>Barbara got a little closer and visually assessed Connor's wounds without making the deviant feel smothered. "Connor, you'll need your damaged skin cleaned before we can start treating your wounds beneath. I'm going to check in on Cole, then I'll be upstairs with the android first aid kit waiting for you."</p>
      <p>Focusing on getting the deviant cleaned up Hank took a washcloth from the small towel ring on the wall, and dipped it into the bathtub's water. Carefully he washed off the mud from Connor's face and the dried Thirium stains from Connor's pale, damaged skin. As each wound was cleaned and tended to carefully Hank saw small scratches gouged into plastimetal frame right along where his artificial skin was missing.</p>
      <p>"How's your Thirium volume, son?"</p>
      <p>"...Low."</p>
      <p>"When will your artificial skin regenerate?"</p>
      <p>"...It won't."</p>
      <p>"Wait, what? What do you mean?"</p>
      <p>"...Zlatko. He... He physically removed it with a scalpel, damaging the sensors on my plastimetal frame. It cannot regenerate."</p>
      <p>"Oh, god. Can it be repaired?"</p>
      <p>"...I don't know."</p>
      <p>"You said you were bleeding internally," Hank stated in a low voice as he eyed Connor's distended stomach worriedly. "what's damaged?"</p>
      <p>"My Thirium filter. Zlatko stabbed me in the chest with a piercing tool."</p>
      <p>"He stabbed you?"</p>
      <p>"...After he shocked me. Twice."</p>
      <p>"Fucking hell..." The sight of the four electrical burns in the center of Connor's chest made Hank's blood boil. "If I see that asshole I'm going to snap his worthless neck!"</p>
      <p>"...Was he caught?"</p>
      <p>"Police found the address." Hank confirmed as he lifted up Connor's right arm and washed away the mud and dried blood along his side in a gentle motion. "I don't know what they're doing right now, and I don't care. YOU are more important than that prick."</p>
      <p>"...That's the place Kara escaped from when she tried to get out of the city. She... She fled just before the Revolution."</p>
      <p>"She truly survived Hell. I'm not surprised giving how determined she was to escape us at the hotel."</p>
      <p>"...Hank," a new sensation in Connor's stomach made the deviant outwardly flinch. "I don't feel well."</p>
      <p>"Sick?"</p>
      <p>Connor closed his eyes and nodded a little to confirm the comment.</p>
      <p>Dropping the washcloth back into the water that was now a pale shade of blue mixed with muddy brown Hank retrieved an empty bucket from under the nearby sink and put it in Connor's hands. "Let it out if you have to, son." Hank resumed washing off Connor's damaged body with the washcloth, and was careful of the charring electrical burns on his chest. "Sit there for a few more minutes and I'll help you get changed into clean clothes, and then up to your bedroom so you can rest."</p>
      <p>Bowing his head a little Connor threw-up a very small amount of Thirium that had collected in his artificial stomach into the mop bucket, and felt his entire body ache at the physical reaction. "...I don't want to go to a facility."</p>
      <p>"I know you don't."</p>
      <p>"...I don't want anyone to see me like this."</p>
      <p>"And they won't." Hank promised as he carefully ran the damp washcloth through Connor's messy hair. The mud and Thirium rinsed out quickly, and soon the entire tub was a sickly bluish-brown tone. "I'm the only one who will see you like this, okay?"</p>
      <p>"...How do you see me?"</p>
      <p>"Like I always do." Taking the used bucket from Connor's hands Hank put it aside and then used the washcloth to wipe the small around of Thirium from Connor's lips and chin in a comforting manner. "I see you as my stubborn and bullheaded son who has a knack for getting in trouble."</p>
      <p>Connor turned his head to look at Hank even though he still couldn't see and hoped his visual processors would resume function even for a second. The inability to see his adoptive father's face or his house made Connor feel uneasy despite knowing who was taking care of him, and know where he was.</p>
      <p>"It's okay, Connor. You're home."</p>
      <p>Not at all surprised that Hank had read his mind Connor felt another memory come forward in his mind from the two parallel timelines. "...I remember."</p>
      <p>"Remember what?"</p>
      <p>"...When I'm home, I don't call you 'Hank'. I call you... 'dad' and... I call Barbara... 'mom'. I've done that for almost a year."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, you do." Smiling a little Hank reached into the tub and pulled on the plug to let the water drain. "You call me 'dad' and her 'mom' because you're our son."</p>
      <p>"...Thank you for finding me."</p>
      <p>"Truth be told, it was Cole who saw you on the street. He's the one who found you, but Barb and I never stopped looking or barking at the precinct to keep searching until you were brought home." Taking another clean towel from the floor Hank wrapped it around Connor's shoulders to help him dry off and feel warmer, then took hold of Connor's left arm to help him back up to his feet. "And I'll never stop looking out for you."</p>
      <p>"...I don't want to be alone." Connor leaned heavily against Hank's right side as his adoptive father helped him to step out of the draining bathtub, and sit down on the floor again to get him completely dried off and into clean clothes. "Don't go anywhere. Please."</p>
      <p>"I won't, son."</p>
      <p>"...Thank you, dad."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>From the middle of the couch with Sumo laying over the furniture beside him Cole leaned over the back of the furniture and watched as Hank led Connor out of the bathroom very slowly, and helped him to climb up the stairs to the second floor of the house. There was a towel draped over Connor's head to keep his face hidden where his clothing couldn't keep him covered. It was a sad sight to behold, but at least his honorary big brother was finally back home where he belonged.</p>
      <p>Hank kept his right hand on Connor's back as he slowly guided the blind deviant up the staircase and into the privacy of Connor's personal bedroom. After helping Connor to lay down on the large bed Hank gave him another clean hoodie to wear over his black t-shirt, this one a navy blue D.P.D. hoodie, and then took his leave to get some more supplies to aid Connor's recovery.</p>
      <p>"...Dad?"</p>
      <p>"I'll be back soon, son. I need to get you some Thirium."</p>
      <p>Wrapping his arms around himself Connor shivered slightly as he acknowledged his adoptive father's statement. "...Okay."</p>
      <p>Still sitting on the couch Cole saw Hank jog back down the stairs and called out to him as he passed through the livingroom. "Dad?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, son."</p>
      <p>"Connor's hurt bad, isn't he?"</p>
      <p>"...Yeah, son." Pausing for a moment Hank confirmed Cole's question. "He is."</p>
      <p>"Can I help?"</p>
      <p>"Uh, yeah." Holding up a single index finger as if signaling Cole to wait a moment Hank went back into the bathroom to grab the bottle of Thirium, and returned to the livingroom at a hasty pace. "I'm going to have to go out and get some stuff to help Connor, and you're too sick to leave the house right now. What I want you to do is lock the doors when I leave and make sure no one stops by to bother Connor or your mom while I'm gone."</p>
      <p>Cole's blue eyes lit up for a moment as he realized what Hank was saying. "I'm in charge?"</p>
      <p>"For a while. Think of this as a trial run to see if you're ready to be left home alone yet." Once more Hank went up the stairs to give Connor the Thirium and asked the wounded deviant what he needed in order to heal. Afterward he went back to the livingroom and gave Cole more instructions. "Keep the doors locked, don't answer Connor's emergency phone and let him sleep. That's all I ask."</p>
      <p>"Okay, dad. I can do that."</p>
      <p>"Good. I'll be back soon, Cole. You rest here and Connor will rest up there." Giving Cole a kiss on the top of his hair Hank took his reluctant leave of the house through the laundry room door to get to the garage. "And don't let Sumo out, just in case. I'll clean up the mess if I have to."</p>
      <p>Cole waited until he saw the car back down the driveway through the livingroom's front window and onto the street before he climbed off the couch and slowly crept up the stairs to peek inside Connor's bedroom. The door was partially opened and before Cole had the chance to push the door open Sumo barged in from behind him and happily jumped up onto the foot of Connor's bed, and snuggled up to Connor's chest affectionately as the deviant laid on his right side with his with his back to the bedroom door.</p>
      <p>Barbara was sitting in her wheelchair on the opposite side of the bed so she could gently comb her right fingers through Connor's hair under the hood. It was a comforting gesture that seemed to be enough to help the deviant finally relax enough to let his body heal.</p>
      <p>"...Connor?"</p>
      <p>"Cole." Barbara addressed her youngest son in a somewhat scolding tone. "You need to go back downstairs for now, sweetie."</p>
      <p>"But I want to see Connor."</p>
      <p>"I know you do, but he needs to rest. You need to be downstairs and resting, too."</p>
      <p>"Please? Can I stay for just a minute?"</p>
      <p>"Cole." Connor turned his head as if he could somehow bury his face entirely into his pillow out of sight. "You should be downstairs resting." Coughing again he tightened his arms around his chest as tightly as he could without hurting his distended stomach, and didn't move. "I know you're ill."</p>
      <p>"So are you."</p>
      <p>"...Yes. That's why I'm resting."</p>
      <p>"How come you won't look at me?"</p>
      <p>"...I don't want to frighten you."</p>
      <p>"What do you mean?" Climbing onto the bed so he was at Connor's back Cole looked down and could only see the blue hoodie hiding Connor's face. "I'm not scared of you."</p>
      <p>"Cole I am... injured." The deviant was struggling to explain things and was grateful for Barbara's kind touch to help him feel grounded. "And the injury is very... It's bad. I don't want you to see it."</p>
      <p>"What kind of injury is that?"</p>
      <p>"...My eyes are damaged and discolored." Connor admitted while keeping his voice level. The Thirium Hank had given him had boosted his volume and power level enough to keep his voice from being electrically distorted as he spoke. "...And I'm missing the skin on most of my face."</p>
      <p>"I know what androids look without their skin. It doesn't scare me."</p>
      <p>"...This will. And I don't want you to see me like that."</p>
      <p>Cole reached out his left hand and put it on Connor's left arm lightly. "You're my brother, it won't scare me."</p>
      <p>Connor turned his head a little, just enough for his eyes to lock onto Cole's hand resting on his arm as his vision blinked back into focus as Barbara took her hand back. Seeing the fearlessness in Cole's gesture took away the lingering fear in Connor's own heart. Turning his head further he reached up with his undamaged right hand and pulled down his hoodie to reveal his face, and waited for Cole to react.</p>
      <p>"Your brown eyes are better." Cole replied honestly without any hesitation to his response. "Can you fix them?"</p>
      <p>"...Y-Yeah." Connor felt tears welling up in his damaged eyes as Cole spoke to him as normally as he ever did. The little boy wasn't afraid of him and still saw him as his big brother. "Yeah, they can be fixed."</p>
      <p>Cole noticed the tears in Connor's eyes and asked about them. "Are you sad?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes. I don't like being in pain or looking like this."</p>
      <p>"It's okay, Connor. You're still my brother no matter what happens to you. Nothing will change just because you got hurt."</p>
      <p>Moving his right hand from the hoodie now hanging down behind his head Connor lightly grabbed onto Cole's left hand, and held it in a strong and supportive grip that made Barbara smile with pride at her two sons. "Thank you, Cole. You'll always be my brother, too."</p>
      <p>Cole leaned down again Connor as the deviant wrapped his arm around Cole's shoulder and held onto him in a much needed hug as Barbara's hand gingerly returned to his hair. In that moment Connor began to cry again, but this time his tears were from a different emotion that he didn't think he'd feel again, and once more Cole asked about why Connor was acting the way that he was.</p>
      <p>"Connor?" The small boy was confused by the deviant's emotional reactions. "You're crying again. Are you still sad?"</p>
      <p>"No, Cole." Explaining himself in a low voice Connor confirmed the contrary to the question. Despite his pain Connor was finally feeling better now that he had his little brother and his mom to look after him. "...I'm just so happy to be home."</p>
      <p>
        <em>
          <strong>-next chapter-</strong>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Healing</h2></a>
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      <p>The front door unlocked and Hank stepped inside the livingroom with Joel, the precinct technician, right behind him. The two men were carrying various pieces of technical equipment designed to help androids under the their arms, and over their shoulders as they sought a way to help Connor recover from his injuries. It didn't take Hank long to notice that Cole wasn't laying on the couch as he had asked him to do, and knew exactly where he'd find the little boy. Taking the lead Hank showed Joel up the stairs into his Connor's bedroom where, unsurprisingly, Cole was sitting beside Connor on the deviant's bed while Barbara watched over them both. Even Sumo was still laying on the bed being the ever loyal dog that he was as he watched over his three masters.</p>
      <p>"Cole?" Hank addressed his younger son with a firm but gentle voice from the opened doorway. "That isn't the couch."</p>
      <p>"Sorry, dad." Looking up at his dad with a sense of sadness in his blue eyes Cole admitted he disobeyed in a low voice. "I just wanted to check on Connor."</p>
      <p>"It's fine, son." Smirking a little as he wasn't at all surprised to see Cole was staying with the injured deviant to make him feel better Hank softened his voice as he spoke to Cole in an understanding tone. "Just go downstairs and stay there." Placing the gathered equipment down on the floor beside the bed Hank gave Cole a stern glance as he stood back up. "We're going to help Connor, now."</p>
      <p>Cole nodded as he got up from the bed and walked out of the bedroom to give his dad and Joel space to work.</p>
      <p>"Take Sumo with you."</p>
      <p>Calling out through the doorway Cole caught the dog's attention. "Sumo!"</p>
      <p>The massive dog plopped down from the foot of the bed and trotted after the small boy, to follow him down the stairs and back to the livingroom.</p>
      <p>Barbara spoke up as she continued to run her fingers gently through Connor's hair. "Cole needed to see his brother. You know how he gets."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I know." Hank closed and locked the bedroom door to ensure that Cole wouldn't be tempted to peek inside as he, Barbara and Joel set about tending to Connor's numerous wounds. "I trust you, Joel." Hank replied in a tired voice as he looked at Connor laying in the bed with a heavy heart. "How bad is he?"</p>
      <p>"We're about to find out." The kind technician stated as he opened his technician's satchel on the floor to sort through his equipment and locked eyes with Barbara as she sat beside the deviant's bed. "You're familiar with his injuries, right?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah. Hank and I patched him as much as we could, but without a proper android first aid kit it's pretty primitive."</p>
      <p>"That's fine. Primitive care is better than no care." Returning his attention back to Hank as the senior detective hovered warily over Connor's bed Joel asked for the strong detective's assistance. "Can you move Connor so he's laying on his back without hurting him in the process?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I can do that."</p>
      <p>Connor was still laying on his right side on the bed and barely moving even under Barbara's kind touch. With his back presented to the door and to the two men who were there to help him the wounded deviant looked truly pitiful.</p>
      <p>Kneeling down on the edge of the bed Hank lightly put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and shook him once as he called his name. "Connor?"</p>
      <p>The deviant didn't respond. His damaged eyes were open and staring into nothingness, unblinking. The amber hued irises were glazed over, and almost frightening to look at.</p>
      <p>"Connor?"</p>
      <p>With a controlled strength Hank rolled Connor gently from his right side and onto his back, while lightly patting Connor's undamaged left cheek to try to get him to respond. The deviant stayed quiet and he was barely breathing. Getting worried that Connor wasn't responding and seemingly shutdown Hank pressed his right ear to Connor's chest over top of the hoodie and listened intently.</p>
      <p>Connor's Thirium pump, his heart, was still beating.</p>
      <p>"...Don't scare me like that." Hank muttered as he grabbed onto collar of the hoodie and began to slowly pull it up and over the deviant's head. Repeating the action for the black t-shirt beneath that Hank exposed Connor's chest and abdomen where the worst of his injuries were located. Once the damage to Connor's face, neck, chest, torso and right arm were visible Hank backed away from the bed and sighed sympathetically with Connor's plight. "His right shin is a little fucked up, too."</p>
      <p>"Holy shit." Joel swore as he visually assessed the damaged deviant beside the bed. "You didn't tell me it was <em>this</em> bad."</p>
      <p>"We're not technicians, Joel. We didn't know what else to do for him."</p>
      <p>"For starters you should've taken him to a facility for treatment."</p>
      <p>"He didn't want to go." The explanation almost felt childish but at least it was honest. "He feels ashamed because of what happened to him."</p>
      <p>"Why? Who cares how he got hurt?" Joel placed the earbuds of his audioscope into place then pressed the cool metal bell of the instrument to Connor's chest to listen to his heartbeat, and his near total lack of breathing. The contact of the cold metal against his warm artificial skin made Connor jump a little, and his glassy eyes slowly blinked. "Weak, irregular heartbeat. His ventilation biocomponents are heavily congested as well."</p>
      <p>"What about his stomach?" Hank was still righteously worried about the internal bleeding. The collection of blue blood under the artificial skin in Connor's lower belly was still prominent and made Connor look like had gained twenty pounds all in his stomach. "He's been bleeding for I don't know how long."</p>
      <p>Barbara kept her hand on Connor's hair as she confirmed that the bleeding was getting worse. "I've been watching his abdomen ever since he was brought up here to rest. He's still bleeding and he's getting weaker."</p>
      <p>Draping the audioscope around his neck Joel very lightly pressed his hands along Connor's chest and abdomen making his way toward his greatly distended stomach to examine the wound, and noted the deviant's discomfort as soon as pressure was applied to his abdomen. "...He's lost a lot of blood. The leak is slow, which is good, but the fact that it hasn't stopped yet is bad."</p>
      <p>Dragging his right hand over his bearded chin Hank sighed as watched his injured son suffering on the bed. "Can you fix it?"</p>
      <p>"...Yeah, but, you're not going to like how I'm going to do it."</p>
      <p>"I think I'd like Connor <em>dying</em> even less than whatever it is you're going to do. How can we help?"</p>
      <p>"I need to get a monitor attached to him so I can find his current base vital signs. It'll take a few hours to repair the damage, but I know I can help him."</p>
      <p>"Do what you have to do, Joel. Save him."</p>
      <p>"Right." Motioning for Hank's assistance Joel placed a portable Thirial activity monitor; the android equivalent to a human cardiac monitor, down on the nightstand beside Connor's bed. The display was blank but would soon enough show Connor's vital signs in bright neon green digits. "I'm going to take his vitals, I need you to get his damaged shin exposed so I can treat it."</p>
      <p>"Sure. Sweatpants are easier to roll up than jeans." Hank muttered as he proceeded to roll up Connor's right pant leg to just above his knee. As his hands brushed against the wound Connor groaned a little in pain but remained otherwise unresponsive, as Barbara continued to gently comb her fingers through his messy locks of hair. "Is he conscious?"</p>
      <p>"In a sense." Connecting the wireless lead sensors to Connor's chest where there wasn't any damage to his artificial skin Joel turned on the monitor and noted the deviant's slow erratic heart rate, low Thirium pressure and volume, and his lower than average core temperature. "Connor's in low power mode right now. He's aware of what's happening around him and what's being said, but he's too weak to respond to us."</p>
      <p>Hank put his right hand down on Connor's left forearm and held it there for a moment. "Connor, you're going to be okay, son. We'll get you patched up."</p>
      <p>"First thing's first." Sighing a little Joel pressed a small rectangular electronic device to Connor's right temple and activated full stasis mode. Connor's damaged eyes slowly disappeared behind his heavy eyelids as the deviant fell asleep against his will. "This is going to be unpleasant for all of us." Removing the device Joel then pressed his left fingertips against Connor's right temple and held his hand there for a few seconds until Connor's artificial skin completely deactivated from over his body. "I'm going to start a Thirium line in his left arm to get his volume back up."</p>
      <p>As Connor's artificial skin receded a blue puddle of Thirium escaped from the deviant's now exposed abdomen, and pooled all over the bed spread beneath him in a sapphire tide.</p>
      <p>"Shit!" Hank grabbed a towel from their pile of gathered supplies, and gently began mopping up the blue blood as carefully as possible. Barbara helped to pat his abdomen dry as gently as possible until the massive puddle was finally cleaned up. "Good thing that shit evaporates."</p>
      <p>"Don't worry, that's actually less blood than I was fearing." Joel sounded entirely calm as he connected a line from the large plastic bottle of replacement Thirium, and then removed the panel of Connor's left forearm near the bend of his elbow to access the large Thirium line beneath. Attaching the the line from the replacement Thirium to Connor's line Joel turned the bottle upside down to let gravity do the work. "I think I can get his volume back up to one-hundred percent capacity with three and a half units of Thirium."</p>
      <p>"I thought it was better if androids drank Thirium instead using a line. What gives?"</p>
      <p>"At the rate he's still bleeding I don't want his Thirium filtering cycling too much blue blood until I've been able to properly repair the damaged biocomponent. Afterward I'll insert a tube down his throat and into his artificial stomach to top off his reserves while he rests."</p>
      <p>Seeing the steady leak of Thirium oozing through the plastimetal frames over Connor's abdomen made Hank feel sick. "...And his internal bleeding?"</p>
      <p>"All I need to do is repair the biocomponent and his external plastimetal frame will heal on its own."</p>
      <p>"Joel, you saw his skin." Hank openly grimaced as he saw how fragile Connor looked without any of his skin over any piece of his body. Even his thick semi-curly dark hair was gone, which only made Connor look entirely blank. "What can you do about that? He can't go walking around without skin."</p>
      <p>"I suspect the sensors producing the artificial skin were damaged by whatever instrument was used to remove the skin, but it can still be repaired. I'll apply some decontaminating chrism and regenerative increment to where his skin has been damaged, and then keep the affected areas concealed under bandages until his self-healing program reactivates."</p>
      <p>"Okay. I didn't understand any of that." Sighing with concern he just stared at Connor's blank form with a righteous paternal need to help his adopted son recover. Pressing his left palm to the side of Connor's right cheek Hank winced at how unnaturally cool Connor seemed to be as he waited for any sign of life to return to his injured son. "How long is this going to take?"</p>
      <p>"I won't know for sure until I open him up. Try not to worry, Hank." Joel tried to sound reassuring but he was evidently nervous. The normally unflappable technician was shaking a little and his face had paled upon seeing Connor's numerous injuries. "I didn't tell anyone about this after you called me, and once I return to the precinct I'll report on his injuries as professionally and discreetly as possible."</p>
      <p>"Will you need a statement from him before writing your report?"</p>
      <p>"No. I can take a visual and auditory recording of his memory and use that instead. Connor won't have to talk to anyone, or face that Zlatko freak in court once the trial begins."</p>
      <p>"I can't believe that dumbass didn't run after Connor escaped." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank looked at his adopted son sympathetically, and sat down on the edge of the bed beside Connor's left leg. "Then again, the arrogant never do. They think their above the law until the law comes crashing down on them in one glorious collapse."</p>
      <p>Reaching her right hand out toward her husband Barbara gave his upper left arm a reassuring squeeze. "Everything will be okay, Hank. Regardless of whomever is responsible for hurting Connor both of our sons are strong enough to handle anything."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Obedient but bored Cole sat on the couch in the livingroom with Sumo over his lap and wrapped up under the navy blue blanket, as he anxiously waited for some news on Connor. It had been almost three hours and the little boy hadn't heard a word from his dad from upstairs since he locked the door. Coughing a little Cole pet Sumo's ears and flipped through the nonsense of the television shows being played to distract himself as he thought about how beaten up and sad Connor was.</p>
      <p>Cole had never seen Connor so weak and injured before. The night Hank had brought Connor back to the house to bandage up his abdomen after Connor had been injured during his investigation of the Stratford Broadcast Tower, and again after Connor had been shot in the shoulder during the night of the Revolution, had been the only times Cole had seen Connor hurt. The sight of Connor unable to move, too weak to support his own weight and unable to look anyone in the eyes was as heartbreaking as it was scary.</p>
      <p>The sound of the bedroom opening upstairs made Cole turn his head and look over his shoulder toward the staircase behind the couch. Soon enough he spotted Joel and Hank walking down the stairs slowly to give Connor some space. Joel had a majority of his equipment packed up, but a few pieces were going to stay behind to help Connor during his recovery for a while longer.</p>
      <p>"Connor will be okay in about two days." Joel stated in a low voice as he rubbed his left hand along the back of his tense neck as he heard Hank following him down the staircase. "Let him sleep and keep his wounds covered until he's one-hundred percent. He needs to stay down and rest as much as possible. From what I've seen I know Barbara can handle that just fine."</p>
      <p>"And what about his eyes?" Hank asked as he met Joel at the bottom of the stairs and crossed his arms over his chest. "He was suffering from sporadic blindness and I think they hurt, too."</p>
      <p>"I repaired his optical units, but like the rest of his body his eyes will need time to properly heal."</p>
      <p>"Good. That's good..." Knowing that in time Connor would be okay Hank breathed a small sigh of relief. "Thanks for all your help, Joel. I mean it."</p>
      <p>"It's no problem, Hank." Offering the senior detective his hand Joel shook firmly and nodded at Cole. "I left some extra Thirium, but if you need anything else just call me."</p>
      <p>"I hope it won't come to that." Hank handed Joel a few dollars from his wallet and shrugged his shoulders a little. "The least I can do is pay your cab fare."</p>
      <p>"Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll check in on Connor in two days, and until then let him rest." Closing the front door behind himself Joel pulled his phone from his pocket and texted for an autonomous taxi to pick him up. "I'm just a phone call away."</p>
      <p>With one son taken care of Hank turned his attention to the second son who had been patiently waiting for an update for the past three hours. "Cole, how're you feeling?" Hank asked as he walked over to the couch and did another fever check with his right palm against the little boy's forehead. "No fever, so that's a good sign."</p>
      <p>"I'm bored."</p>
      <p>"Sorry, Cole. You're too sick to play outside, and Connor's too sick to play inside."</p>
      <p>"Can I see Connor?"</p>
      <p>"Not yet, son. He's sleeping right now."</p>
      <p>"When will he wake up?"</p>
      <p>"Not for a while. He's really hurt and he's a little sick again." Hank explained casually as he leaned against the back of the couch and folded his hands together to keep himself from fidgeting nervously. "Once he's better you two can hang out and do your normal thing."</p>
      <p>"Okay."</p>
      <p>"Hungry?"</p>
      <p>"A little."</p>
      <p>"Good. Come on." Running his left hand through Cole's hair playfully Hank motioned to the kitchen. "I'll make you some lunch and then we can watch a movie so Connor can sleep without us accidentally making too much noise. Mom is going to be staying with Connor while he sleeps."</p>
      <p>"Aren't you going to work?" Cole asked as he got off the couch and kept the blanket wrapped around himself while he followed after his dad into the kitchen.</p>
      <p>"Not today." Responding honestly Hank gave Cole a faint grin. "I have two sick kids to take care of, and there's no way I'd leave either of you home while you don't feel good."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>While Cole was sitting in the kitchen eating a light lunch Hank crept up the staircase and returned to Connor's bedroom. Pushing open the bedroom door quietly Hank stepped inside the room, closed the door behind himself with a soft 'click', and stood beside the bed where Connor was still sleeping. The portable monitor was still on the nightstand beside the bed and showed Connor's improved, but still low, vital signs. Seeing the actively beating heart rate on the display made Hank feel a little better, but the sight of Connor almost mummified under bandages and gauze made him feel sick.</p>
      <p>Connor himself had bandages wrapped all over his body. A temporary plastimetal splint was secured around Connor's right shin where more gauze kept the repaired limb sterilized as his self-healing program initiated. A blindfold made of gauze was wrapped over his still healing eyes to keep as much light out of the optical sensors as they recalibrated. Gauze was wrapped around Connor's neck, chest and shoulders, partially down his chest and back, around his abdomen and completely around his right arm from the shoulder all the way down to his fingertips to protect the exposed plastimetal frame where his artificial skin had been forcefully removed by Zlatko's hands. The surrounding areas had the rest of the artificial skin reactivated making Connor look entirely human, but still weak and wounded.</p>
      <p>A flexible plastic tube had been inserted through Connor's left nostril and down his throat to reach to his artificial stomach as another bottle of chilled Thirium replenished the rest of his reserves without accidentally choking him in the process. Steadily Connor's chest rose and fell, an action that the deviant had previously been too weak to perform, and he seemed to be sleeping peacefully as his ventilation program returned to full function.</p>
      <p>"Hank," speaking in a whisper Barbara gave him a kind smile. "he's going to be okay. He's just sleeping."</p>
      <p>"I know. I just hate seeing him like this."</p>
      <p>"So do I. How's Cole?"</p>
      <p>"Bored, but he isn't running a fever and he's eating lunch."</p>
      <p>"That's good. Let him know I'll be down to make him dinner and help him with science fair project if he needs it."</p>
      <p>"Sure. Do you need anything?"</p>
      <p>"I just need Connor to wake up. I keep talking to him and reminding him of all the fun times we had together as a family so he can have a familiar voice to listen to. Maybe you should try speaking to him, too."</p>
      <p>"Hey, son." Hank spoke in a low voice as to not startle Connor, but made sure he could be heard. "You look a hell of a lot better than you did this morning." Instinctively he pressed his right palm down over Connor's forehead between the bandages and hummed a little. "You feel warm but I'll chalk that up to your system working overdrive to heal since you were a little cold earlier."</p>
      <p>Connor's left hand twitched a little as his head lolled slightly against the pillow beneath his head.</p>
      <p>"Easy. You keep resting and don't try to talk right now." The urgency of Hank's voice came from a paternal instinct to keep his son safe. Draping the chocolate brown quilt up and over Connor to keep him warm Hank resumed speaking to his unconscious deviant son. "Just so you know... that Zlatko freak was captured. He didn't try to run or even hide the evidence. He tried to justify that what he did was only malicious destruction of private property and theft, not murder. Too bad for him the judge overseeing the case was a good friend to Carl Manfred, and the judge knows that deviants are living beings. He's going to rot in a small cramped jail cell until he dies, and then he'll burn in Hell after that."</p>
      <p>Connor's left hand twitched again, then relaxed as Hank tucked his hand under the quilt to keep him warmer.</p>
      <p>"I'm going to be downstairs with Cole for a while. I'll be up to check on you in an hour or so, but Barb is going to stay here so you're not alone." Patting Connor's left shoulder lightly Hank took his leave of the bedroom again. "Sleep for as long as you can. Once you're strong enough to move we'll go spend a weekend at the cabin before it gets too cold and snowy to go anywhere outside the city."</p>
      <p>Smiling kindly Barbara resumed combing her fingers through Connor's hair as she spoke to the deviant in a loving tone. "I told you he'd want to go back to the cabin for a weekend away. Sounds good, right?"</p>
      <p>Departing the bedroom just as quietly as he had entered the room Hank left Connor to rest, and felt himself feeling entirely exhausted. As he reached the bottom of the staircase he noticed Cole curled up on the far end of the couch with Sumo, and was struggling to stay awake.</p>
      <p>Joining Cole on the couch Hank propped his feet up on the coffee table and leaned back heavily against the couch cushion behind him. "You look as tired as I feel, Cole."</p>
      <p>"I'm not tired."</p>
      <p>"Sure you are. Just close your eyes and sleep for a while." Hank encouraged as he patted Cole's right shoulder. "We're all tired and we're all a little under the weather. You sleep, I'll sleep and Connor's already sleeping with your mom keeping an eye on him. I bet even Sumo will fall asleep soon."</p>
      <p>"Dad, when will Connor be better?"</p>
      <p>"In a couple days. Same with you, since you're sick and need to take that medicine until you're better."</p>
      <p>"Why did he get hurt?"</p>
      <p>"Uh..." Hank wanted to be an honest parent but sometimes there were days where he wanted to just lie to Cole about how dark and cruel the world can be. The world is especially cruel to those who are misunderstood and different. "Well, Connor was trying to find a person who was hurting other deviants, and he ended up getting hurt by that same person while trying to come home from work."</p>
      <p>"But Connor got away. Right?"</p>
      <p>"That's right. Connor escaped with the help of another deviant who had also been hurt. And Connor was hurt so badly and was so confused that he ended up hiding in that alleyway while trying to find his way home. If you hadn't spotted him he might still be there, sick and hurt. You did good by finding him, but never jump out of the car again. Got it?"</p>
      <p>"Yup." Cole replied with a cheeky smile as he stayed cuddled up in the corner of the couch. "He's going to be okay though. Right?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, son. Connor's going to be just fine in a few days."</p>
      <p>"That's good." Laying his head down on the large wedged up in the corner of the couch pillow Cole closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep. "I like Connor."</p>
      <p>Relieved to see Cole resting Hank closed his eyes and did the same. It was a rare moment of peace and quiet, and the experienced detective knew better than to let such a rare moment pass by unappreciated. The whole house was asleep for almost six hours before Hank woke up to the sound of Sumo scratching at the backdoor needing to go outside.</p>
      <p>"Ah, alright. I'm comin' boy."</p>
      <p>Getting up from the couch as quietly as possible to not disturb Cole, who was still asleep and needed to sleep thanks to his bronchitis, Hank walked into the kitchen and opened the backdoor to let Sumo outside for a while. Stretching out his back a little Hank pulled his phone from his jean pocket, saw a dozen missed calls from Captain Fowler, shrugged them off, and proceeded to walk up the staircase to check on Connor.</p>
      <p>"Let's hope things stay quiet for all of our sakes."</p>
      <p>Letting Sumo back inside so he could stay with Cole as he slept Hank slipped his phone back into his pocket to check in on Connor. As he opened the bedroom door with a quiet motion Hank caught sight of Connor's left hand pulling on the tube that was inserted down his nostril, and he could see the deviant beginning to panic a little as Barbara gently shushed him in an attempt to get him to lay back down.</p>
      <p>"Connor, don't do that." Hank rushed over to the bed and put his right hand on Connor's left arm. "Leave it there until Joel comes back in a couple days."</p>
      <p>"...H-Ha..." Connor's voice cracked a little as his grip lessened on the tube and he began to relax. Recognizing the voice and the soft bed under his body Connor realized he was safe and home. "...D-Dad?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, it's me." Hearing Connor call him 'dad' made Hank smile a little. "I'm right here with Barbara."</p>
      <p>As Barbara's soft left palm pressed against his right cheek Connor turned to look at her but failed to see her at all. "...I can't see. Why can't I see?"</p>
      <p>"Your eyes were repaired, but they still need to heal. The bandages are going to keep you protected for a while."</p>
      <p>"...And my hand?" Lifting up his bandaged right hand weakly Connor's individually bandaged fingers wrapped flexed a little, then fell limp. "I can move it, but I can't feel it."</p>
      <p>"Joel put some healing shit on your arm and everywhere else your skin was damaged. He said your sensors were damaged which is why your skin isn't functioning right now, so he wrapped up your frame where your skin is missing to keep it clean until you heal."</p>
      <p>Connor nodded a little as he draped his right arm over his abdomen and fortunately didn't wince from the contact since his internal bleeding had been tended to as well. "...How is Cole?"</p>
      <p>"He's fine." The selfless question made Hank smirk a little more. "He's worried about you, though."</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry anyone."</p>
      <p>"We know that. We're all just glad you're okay."</p>
      <p>"I heard what you said about Zlatko." The wounded deviant replied in a tired whisper. His memories were foggy but he knew they were accurate. "How many deviants did he assault?"</p>
      <p>"At the last count we directly connected seventy-three deviant disappearances to him. We'll tag on the abduction, assault and attempted murder of both Kara and Alice to his already massive list of charges while we're at it. Not to mention the abduction, assault and attempted murder of a police officer." Hank explained calmly as he looked down at his healing son with a truly sympathetic glance. "There's been fifty-six confirmed deaths at his hands, too."</p>
      <p>"...Did you find Charles?"</p>
      <p>"The blond haired deviant just down the sidewalk from that Hellhole?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes. That's him."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, son. He'll be given a proper funeral with his friends and family."</p>
      <p>"I want to pay my respects as well." There was no hesitation in his reply and the spike of his heart rate on the monitor confirmed his need to do the right thing for the deviant who saved his life. "He helped me escape, but his injuries were too severe. I couldn't do anything to help him."</p>
      <p>"It's okay, Connor. You didn't do anything wrong."</p>
      <p>Connor took his left arm from Hank's grip and pressed his palm over the bandages wrapped around his eyes as he felt himself beginning to cry a little.</p>
      <p>"It's okay. You're safe."</p>
      <p>"...Sorry."</p>
      <p>"Don't be sorry, just take it easy and sleep."</p>
      <p>"I don't want to be alone."</p>
      <p>"Alright, I understand that." Hank sat down on the edge of the bed beside Connor's left leg and kept his adopted son company. As a father he knew that sometimes just close contact was enough to help a frightened child feel safer. "Do you want to talk about what happened to you?"</p>
      <p>"...No. At least, not yet."</p>
      <p>"Okay, you don't have to. But you will need to speak to someone about this so it doesn't affect you in the long run. Got it?"</p>
      <p>"...Yeah. I got it."</p>
      <p>"That's good."</p>
      <p>"Is Cole still ill?"</p>
      <p>"He isn't feverish anymore but I can still hear him coughing every so often. He'll be fine now that he has a prescription, and he knows that you'll be okay."</p>
      <p>"I promised him that I'd help him with his homework."</p>
      <p>"Connor, he's going to be home from school for a week. You'll have plenty of time to help him catch up on his homework when you're both better."</p>
      <p>"How long are you going to be here with Cole?"</p>
      <p>"Just as long. Unless you'd be up for keeping Cole company after you're well enough to get up and move around on your own again."</p>
      <p>"I wouldn't mind staying with him."</p>
      <p>Hank was not at all surprised by Connor's answer and patted his left shoulder again. "Not surprised. Get some sleep and I'll stay here with you and Barbara for a while."</p>
      <p>"Thank you... dad. Mom."</p>
      <p>"You're welcome, son. Now rest." Pressing his left palm over the quilt draped over Connor's chest to make sure he felt grounded. "You're safe now."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Downstairs still laying on the couch Cole woke up thanks to a coughing fit and kept coughing until he almost fell off the couch. As he sat upright on the cushions Sumo whimpered and pressed his head up against the little boy's chest sympathetically. It wasn't long after the coughing fit started that Hank had made his way down the stairs to check in on youngest son, who was still evidently very sick. As he pressed his right hand to Cole's forehead Hank internally swore and leaned over the back of the couch to pick up the ten year old into his arms.</p>
      <p>"You have a fever again. You should take a bath and go to bed."</p>
      <p>Cole stopped coughing and just sat down on the edge of the bathtub after Hank carried him into the bathroom. "...My head hurts."</p>
      <p>"It's okay." Lowering his voice Hank made sure to remain composed and didn't speak too loudly as to not make Cole's headache worse. "I'll get you something for your fever, and it'll help take care of your headache, too."</p>
      <p>"Do I have to take the medicine?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. If you don't take your medicine you'll stay sick."</p>
      <p>Turning on the faucet in the tub Hank adjusted the temperature so it was warm but not hot, then left the bathroom to get Cole's medication out of the kitchen.</p>
      <p>Feeling tired Cole just sat on the bathtub and waited for his dad to return. Sumo joined Cole in the bathroom, and sat down before the ill little boy protectively as was his instinctive role in the family.</p>
      <p>"I know you hate taking medicine," Hank sympathized as he knelt down on the floor in front of his son and handed Cole a dose of the red liquid antibiotics he had been prescribed. "but you have to do it. After your bath I'll get you an ice pop, okay?"</p>
      <p>Cole took the medicine, made a horribly disgusted grimace and agreed to the idea of a popsicle. "Cherry?"</p>
      <p>"Cherry."</p>
      <p>"Okay."</p>
      <p>"Cool. I need to go check on Connor, so I want you to get in the tub and keep the door open for me." Turning off the water at a slightly lower level than usual for the tub's size Hank gave the young, but surprisingly mature boy, clear instructions. "Don't get out of the tub until I come to check on you."</p>
      <p>"Okay, dad."</p>
      <p>"Good. Keep an eye on him, Sumo."</p>
      <p>The massive dog wagged his tail before plopping down on the floor in the middle of the bathroom and watched as Cole took off his clothes to get in the warm bath. It seemed like the only person in the house who wasn't exhausted for one reason or another was Sumo himself.</p>
      <p>Moving swiftly but quietly Hank wandered back up the stairs and returned to Connor's bedroom on the second floor. "Hey, kid."</p>
      <p>Turning his head a little toward the bedroom door as Barbara held onto his hand Connor sounded calmer and more at ease. "...How's Cole?"</p>
      <p>"His fever's back so I'm putting him in the bath before putting him into bed." Instinctively Hank pressed his right hand to Connor's forehead and immediately became alarmed at the temperature of Connor's artificial skin. "Damn it, you have a fever, too."</p>
      <p>"...Overheating."</p>
      <p>"Uh-huh, same thing. How high is your fev- Never mind." Peering at the Thirial activity monitor still attached to Connor's chest Hank saw that the deviant's core temperature had risen up to one-hundred and two point three degrees Fahrenheit. "Shit. I'm getting you a cold compress."</p>
      <p>"...I will be okay."</p>
      <p>"Nope." Hank wasn't going to let Connor talk his way out basic treatment for a fever and proceeded to walk to the upstairs bathroom just one door away, and ran a clean washcloth under the cold tap in the sink and wrung out the excess water. Folding the washcloth neatly in half Hank returned to Connor in his bedroom and placed the compress down over the deviant's too warm forehead. "You need this."</p>
      <p>"...Cole is sicker than I am."</p>
      <p>"It's not a contest, son. I'm going to take care of<em> both</em> of you for as long as you need me."</p>
      <p>Barbara quickly sided with Hank and confirmed that he needed to get his temperature down. "Connor, you know as well as I do that if your core temperature gets too high your system will get overwhelmed and you won't be able to recover. Please lay still."</p>
      <p>Connor tried to remove the bandages from around his eyes but Hank and Barbara wouldn't let him.</p>
      <p>"Keep that in place." Wrapping his right hand around Connor's left hand Hank pushed his fingers away from the bandages. "What's the matter?"</p>
      <p>"I just... I can't see anything or feel anything. It's very disorienting."</p>
      <p>"You're home, you're in your bedroom, you're in your own bed and Barbara and I are right here beside you." Pressing his right palm down over the compress Hank sighed and stared at Connor's bandaged body with a somber stare, one that he was thankful Connor couldn't see. "I'm going to go get Cole and bring him upstairs. I'll be able to take care of both of you easier that way."</p>
      <p>"Okay. I understand."</p>
      <p>"Good. Stay put."</p>
      <p>Feeling exhausted and ready to go to bed himself Hank returned to the downstairs bathroom and helped Cole out of the bathtub. Guiding the little boy upstairs as Cole remained wrapped up in his soft blue bathrobe, and into his own bedroom Hank gave Cole a clean pair of pajamas for him to change into, then placed him down in his bed under the thick quilt.</p>
      <p>"I'll be back with your cherry ice pop as promised." Hank stated as he made one final trip to the kitchen to get everything he needed to take care of youngest son. Being a father was exhausting but Hank was grateful for every day he had with Cole and now Connor. As he grabbed onto the cherry ice pop from the freezer he looked at the bright blue raspberry one next to it and laughed. "I should try freezing Thirium onto a popsicle stick for Connor someday. I bet he'd like it."</p>
      <p>Cole coughed again as Hank returned to the bedroom and gave him the frozen treat. Accepting the popsicle Cole popped it into his mouth and laid back against his pillow as being sick completely drained him of his energy.</p>
      <p>"I'll get you a cold washcloth, too."</p>
      <p>"Dad?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah?" Hank stopped in the doorway to look back at Cole as the little boy pulled the ice pop from his mouth. "What's wrong?"</p>
      <p>"Can we go to the park tomorrow?"</p>
      <p>"Sorry, son. You need to get better before you can play outside again." After getting another washcloth ready for Cole's fever in the nearby bathroom Hank returned to the bedroom, placed the washcloth over Cole's forehead and pulled the dark blue quilt up over his chest. "I already told Connor once you're both better we'll take one last trip out to the cabin before it's too cold. Would you like that?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. It's fun out there."</p>
      <p>Hank smirked and took the red stained popsicle stick from Cole's hand to throw in the trash after the little boy finished off his treat. "Good. Get some sleep and if you're feeling better in the morning I'll make you French toast again."</p>
      <p>Cole liked that idea and curled up under his quilt to go to sleep.</p>
      <p>"Goodnight, son." Giving Cole a kiss on his hair Hank pulled the door halfway shut as he left the bedroom then proceeded to check in on Connor once more. It was the first time Hank had two sick kids to worry about, but he was up to the challenge and already succeeding fairly well. "How are you doing, kid?"</p>
      <p>There was a delay as Connor answered the question. "...I'm tired but I'm not in pain."</p>
      <p>"That's good. I'm going to stay up a while longer and check in on you two for a few more hours. If you need anything just ask."</p>
      <p>"I'm okay, Ha- dad." Connor promised as he turned his head to face Hank, judging where the senior detective was standing by the sound of his voice. "Worry about Cole, I'll enter rest mode and my self-healing program will initiate at full power."</p>
      <p>"Alright, son. Take it easy and try not to think about anything."</p>
      <p>"I'll try."</p>
      <p>Just as he did with Cole's room Hank exited the bedroom and pulled the door only halfway shut behind him as he went downstairs to clean up the livingroom, kitchen and bathroom. As he worked Sumo followed him from room to room curiously and kept him company while also waiting patiently to be fed. Once the house was quiet and clean, and Sumo was fed, Hank returned to the couch to relax for a moment and get a little sleep.</p>
      <p>"I don't what's worse." Hank lamented to himself as Sumo cuddled up with him on the couch. "A ten year old with bronchitis, or a deviant literally broken up and left helpless..."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>A few hours passed with peaceful silence in the calm house. Hank had fallen into a deep sleep on the couch well until almost midnight when the sound of a muffled cry for help jolted Hank awake. Instantly he recognized Connor's voice, a voice that was hoarse and stricken with panic, and quickly raced up the stairs to see what was happening. Entering the deviant's bedroom he saw Connor was tossing and turning in his sleep, his arms up toward his face as if needing to defend himself from an unseen foe, and realized that the sick deviant was suffering from an intense nightmare.</p>
      <p>Barbara had managed to pull herself out of her wheelchair and was sitting on the edge of Connor's bed as she tried to hold him steady and get him to calm down. "Connor! Sweetheart, you're safe." Speaking softly and compassionately Barbara did her best to get Connor to lay still and wake up. "You're okay, just listen to my voice and open your eyes."</p>
      <p>"Connor?" Sitting down on the other edge of the bed Hank grabbed onto Connor's upper arms to hold him down gently and called his name. "Connor!" He had to raise his voice to get Connor's attention. "You're okay! Connor listen to-"</p>
      <p>"Stay back!" Connor shouted in a petrified manner as he tried to pull his arms from Hank's hands. "Don't hurt-"</p>
      <p>"Connor." Repeated the name in a clear firm voice Hank seemed to break through the nightmare at last. "Connor, you're safe. No one is going to hurt you."</p>
      <p>The deviant stopped fighting against his unseen foe as he suddenly sat upright on the bed. Tense and shaking Connor bowed his head forward as he tried to stop himself from shedding fearful tears down his face as Barbara wrapped her arms around him to hold in a gentle hug. "...H-Hank? Barbara?"</p>
      <p>"That's right. We're here and you're safe."</p>
      <p>"I... I'm sorry!"</p>
      <p>"Sorry? For what?"</p>
      <p>"...I... I was... I was afraid and-"</p>
      <p>"Shh. Don't be sorry for being scared, son." Putting his hands on Connor's shoulders Hank held him as steady as possible. "It happens to everyone."</p>
      <p>"I don't want to be scared..." Connor admitted as he trembled where he sat and pressed his right hand to the right side of his face. "I.. I can't protect my family if-"</p>
      <p>The deviant was silenced as he was suddenly wrapped up in Hank's arms around his back in a protective hug. "It's okay. <em>You're</em> okay, Connor." Hank pressed his right hand to Connor's forehead and felt that his fever had increased to much higher temperature. "Shit," retracting his hand he gave Barbara a relatively worried stare. "you're burning up..."</p>
      <p>As Connor rested his forehead against Barbara's shoulder he could hear his adoptive mother's steadily beating heart, which made his own racing heart calm as his fear ebbed away. Relaxing a little the deviant stopped shaking as Barbara and Hank stayed in place, and held onto him in a comforting hug. "...I don't want to be afraid."</p>
      <p>"Mom? Dad?" Cole wandered into the bedroom with a tired and confused stare in his blue eyes. "What's happening?"</p>
      <p>"It's okay, Cole." Hank spoke up in a even voice as he continued to hold onto Connor in a support embrace. "Go back to bed."</p>
      <p>"What's wrong with Connor?"</p>
      <p>"He had a nightmare, that's all. Go to bed, I'll take care of him."</p>
      <p>Cole looked at the deviant with a sad glance before listening to Hank and returning to his bedroom.</p>
      <p>"Connor?" Hank addressed the frightened deviant quietly. "You're running very hot. What do we do to help you?"</p>
      <p>"I... I just need... to rest."</p>
      <p>Hank nodded as he and Barbara guided Connor back down to the bed and the soft pillow beneath his head. Picking up the now warm compress from the side of the bed the incredibly patient senior detective and father made his way down to the kitchen to place the washcloth under the cold tap in the sink while also grabbing two ice packs from the freezer to help Connor cool down quickly.</p>
      <p>Remaining in the bedroom with Barbara at his sighed Connor pressed his right hand to the side of his face over the bandages and ran a self-diagnostic. He was indeed healing but his core temperature had risen considerably as a result. Exhausted and feeling absolutely terrible Connor heard Hank's footsteps as he climbed the staircase to walk back into the bedroom.</p>
      <p>"The monitor says you're up to one-hundred and three point eight." Hank noted as he glanced at the display. "Is that accurate?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes." Connor admitted as he laid still and only flinched slightly when the cold washcloth wrapped around an ice pack was laid over his forehead. "...That'll help. My self-healing program is running at full capacity and as a result my core temperature has been elevated."</p>
      <p>"Are you in danger?"</p>
      <p>"...No. As long as I rest I'll be okay."</p>
      <p>"That's good." Hank put his right hand down over the center of Connor's bandaged chest to count his pulse and glanced at the monitor again. "Your heart rate is elevated, too. Is that also from your self-healing program?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes, the two anomalies are connected."</p>
      <p>"Good to know. Try to get some more sleep, okay? I won't be far away."</p>
      <p>Barbara pressed her left palm over the washcloth on Connor's forehead and applied gentle pressure. "And I'll stay with you all night. Okay?"</p>
      <p>"...Y-Yes. Thank you... dad, mom."</p>
      <p>Hank patted Connor's chest twice before getting up from the edge of the bed. "You're welcome. I'll check on you later, right now I need to make sure Cole got back into bed." Giving Barbara a quick kiss Hank took his leave of the bedroom yet again. As he crossed the hallway he spotted Cole in bed as he was asked to do, and had Sumo curled up on the foot of the bed near his feet. "Hey?" Repeating peering up at Cole as he laid on the top bunk of his bed Hank checked on his fever and was relieved to find that it was gone. "How's your headache?"</p>
      <p>"Better."</p>
      <p>"That's good. Try to get some more sleep, it's late."</p>
      <p>"Why did Connor scream?"</p>
      <p>"Like I said, he had a nightmare and it scared him."</p>
      <p>"I didn't know deviants had nightmares."</p>
      <p>"Sure they do. They have dreams and nightmares like any other human, it's just Connor tends to have really bad nightmares because unlike humans his memories are perfect. He'll remember everything he's ever seen or heard throughout his entire life, so that makes his dreams and nightmares very vivid."</p>
      <p>"He remembers everything? Even the bad things?"</p>
      <p>Sighing a little Hank ran his right hand through Cole's hair gently. "Yeah, son. Even the bad things. That's why you, your mom and me gave Connor a family, that way he has lots of good things to remember, too."</p>
      <p>Cole nodded a little and pulled his quilt up over his shoulder as curled up on his left side to sleep. "Like going to the cabin?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. Just like that." Giving Cole another kiss on his hair Hank stood up and walked over to the doorway. "Goodnight, son. I'll see you in the morning."</p>
      <p>"Goodnight, dad."</p>
      <p>Absolutely exhausted and eager for this horrible chain of events to end Hank retreated to his own bedroom and kept the door open as he fell back over top of his bed in a dead heap. Not even bothering to change out of his clothes Hank just waited for the morning to come as he slept as deeply as possible to shrug off one of the worst days of his life.</p>
      <p>Two sick kids: One with bronchitis, and the second nearly beaten to death.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Just past seven in the morning Hank was awoken by a cold wet nose pressing against the left side of his face. Opening his eyes he was greeted by Sumo as the massive dog wagged his tail and stared at him expectantly. The fact that Sumo wasn't staying with either Cole or Connor meant that the two sick kids were fairing much better, and the loyal dog didn't feel the need to be super protective.</p>
      <p>"Hey, boy." Sitting up on the bed Hank wiped his right hand over his tired face and sighed. "You need me, too?"</p>
      <p>Sumo grumbled a little in response.</p>
      <p>"Alright. I'll let you out and get you some chow."</p>
      <p>Getting up from his bed Hank walked down the hallway and peered inside Cole's room and saw the little boy still sleeping, then did the same for Connor. The deviant was seemingly asleep as well with Barbara resting on the bed beside him. It was clear Connor still needed some parental support and Barbara was more than willing to help her son through his nightmares.</p>
      <p>"Good. Stay quiet for a while longer." He whispered before walking down the stairs with Sumo right at his side. As he slid open the backdoor Sumo trotted into the backyard and Hank proceeded to fill up Sumo's bowls with fresh food and water. "Might as well start making Cole his French toast, and make Barbara an omelette... I hope Cole doesn't expect it for every breakfast, that stuff takes a while to make."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Having slept through the night with no further nightmares Connor roused from his rest mode as he sensed Hank moving about the house, and could smell the aroma of a freshly made breakfast down in the kitchen. Sitting upright on his bed Connor pressed his right hand to the side of his face, his bandaged palm meeting a bandaged cheek, and ran another self-diagnostic. While a majority of his internal damage had been repaired much of his external damage still needed time to heal. As much as he wanted to pull the Thirium line from his artificial stomach and back out of his nose he knew he couldn't do that.</p>
      <p>Not yet.</p>
      <p>Sensing Barbara sleeping beside him Connor gently put his right hand down on her left forearm so he could gauge where she was and not accidentally jostle her while he was blind and trying to gain his bearings.</p>
      <p>"Connor?" Cole's voice called out to the deviant from the partially opened bedroom doorway.</p>
      <p>"Cole." Recognizing the little boy's voice Connor looked toward the doorway and spoke to him in a level voice. "You should be resting."</p>
      <p>"I'm not tired." Walking over to the bed the little boy climbed up on the edge of the bed to sit next to Connor and opposite side as his mom. "Are you still sick?"</p>
      <p>"...In a way, I am. I'm just healing slowly."</p>
      <p>"Does it hurt?"</p>
      <p>"No."</p>
      <p>"How long are you going to be sick?"</p>
      <p>"...I don't know. I've never been... sick like this before."</p>
      <p>"Can I help?"</p>
      <p>For the first time since he woke up on the couch after altering the timeline for the better Connor felt a warmth spreading in his chest that he had begun to attribute to 'belonging'. Turning his head a little so he could face Cole, judging the boy's location from the sound of his voice and the weight on the bed beside him, Connor gave Cole a faint grin. "I wish you could, but this is something that'll happen on its own."</p>
      <p>"Okay. Are you going to come downstairs?"</p>
      <p>"...I don't think it's a good idea for me to move around, let alone walk down the stairs while I cannot see."</p>
      <p>"I can guide you."</p>
      <p>"Thank you, but I don't want to trip or accidentally knock you over while walking."</p>
      <p>From the doorway Hank agreed with Connor as he came upstairs to get Cole. "He's right, Cole. Maybe tomorrow he'll be able to move around."</p>
      <p>"Okay..."</p>
      <p>"Come on," Hank put his right hand on Cole's left shoulder to guide him off the bed. "I made you French toast as I promised, and you still need to take your medicine."</p>
      <p>"Again?"</p>
      <p>"Sorry, son. You have to take it until you're well again."</p>
      <p>"...Fine."</p>
      <p>Connor smirked a little as Cole walked out of the bedroom with Hank follow close behind him.</p>
      <p>"Do you need anything before I go, Connor?"</p>
      <p>"No, Ha-, <em>dad</em>. I'm okay."</p>
      <p>"What about Thirium?"</p>
      <p>Checking his Thirium volume via self-diagnostic the deviant noticed his reserve dropped down to eighty-percent during the night. "I could use some Thirium to replenish what my system used to activate my self-healing program."</p>
      <p>"No problem." Walking over to the side of the bed Hank leaned down and kissed Barbara's cheek to awaken his wife. As she opened up her hazel eyes and looked up at Hank the lovebirds exchanged amused smirks. "Good morning."</p>
      <p>"G'morning."</p>
      <p>"Breakfast is ready. You should go and eat, you've been up here for hours."</p>
      <p>Looking up at Connor beside her Barbara managed to prop herself up on her elbows and gave the deviant a worried glance. "How're you feeling, Connor?"</p>
      <p>"I am... better." Admitting he was improving but not feeling one-hundred percent was a challenge. The honest reply was Connor's way of showing his adopted parents respect. "I can be alone for now."</p>
      <p>"You're sure?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. Thank you for staying with me."</p>
      <p>"You're welcome, sweetheart." Letting Hank help her climb back into her wheelchair Barbara straightened up her back a little and sighed. "Okay. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."</p>
      <p>Hank patted Connor's left shoulder lightly and encouraged him to lay back down for a moment. "You keep resting, we'll be back up soon and I'll give you some Thirium."</p>
      <p>"Okay, thank you."</p>
      <p>While Cole sat at the kitchen table with a plate of French toast before him and Barbara gave Cole a kiss on his cheek before she too joined him for breakfast Hank got the little boy his dose of medication, before grabbing a bottle of Thirium for Connor down from the cabinet above the kitchen sink. Unsurprisingly when Hank returned to the deviant's bedroom upstairs he found Connor slowly working to unwrap the bandages from around his eyes, but the bandages around his right hand was making the effort much more difficult than it would normally be.</p>
      <p>"Hey, what're you doing? I told you to rest."</p>
      <p>"...My eyes have healed considerably. I wish to test my optical units."</p>
      <p>"Shouldn't you wait until you've healed to one-hundred percent?"</p>
      <p>"I won't push my limits."</p>
      <p>"If you're going to do that," Hank put the bottle of Thirium down on the nearby nightstand and pushed Connor's hands down from the bandages. "then let me help. Hold still."</p>
      <p>Connor dropped his hands from his bandaged eyes and allowed Hank to remove the gauze wrapping on his behalf. As the wrapping was removed from around his repaired eyes Connor pressed his left fingertips to his sore artificial skin around his eyes, and found that his artificial skin had slowly begun to regenerate, although his face wasn't fully covered just yet.</p>
      <p>"Alright, the light in the bedroom is still off so I don't think the bright light will bother you."</p>
      <p>"My optical units adjust to intense light much quicker than human pupils." Connor reminded Hank as he shielded his soulful brown eyes with his hand cautiously, and opened his eyelids very slowly. Lowering his right hand from his eyes the deviant blinked a few times as Hank's face came into full clear view. "...I can see."</p>
      <p>"Thank fuck." Hank remarked as he waded up the gauze and tossed it into the trashcan in the bathroom one room over. Speaking from the neighboring room Hank asked if the deviant was suffering from any other complication. "Any other problems I should know about?"</p>
      <p>"No. I'm okay." Connor shook his head a little as he picked up the bottle of Thirium with his left hand, and drank it slowly. The line running down his throat was uncomfortable but it wasn't hindering his ability to speak, breath or even drink. "Thank you for helping me."</p>
      <p>"Stop thanking me for do the right thing." Hank returned to the bedroom and playfully slapped Connor's left shoulder. "I'm just glad you're back home."</p>
      <p>"...You said that Zlatko was arrested and being charged for numerous counts of assault and murder." Finishing off his Thirium Connor placed the empty bottle down on the nearby nightstand and looked his adoptive father in the eyes. "How long will it take for the case to be processed?"</p>
      <p>"Wish I knew, kid. But I don't want you back at the precinct for another few days."</p>
      <p>"...I understand. I'm not exactly eager to return to the precinct."</p>
      <p>"Jeez, that asshole must've really shook you up. You actually want to stay home and not work."</p>
      <p>"I've never felt so defenseless in my entire life." Connor admitted as he blinked a few more times, his soulful brown irises now clear and bright without a trace of damage to his delicately calibrated optical units. "...I think the experience is what you'd call 'humbling'."</p>
      <p>"Humbling or not, what that asshole did to you is inexcusable and he'll burn for it."</p>
      <p>Connor sighed a little and attempted to swing his legs over the edge of the bed to stand up, but his body was too weak and he didn't have the strength to move very far.</p>
      <p>"Whoa, whoa..." Hank put his hands on Connor's shoulders to steady him and guide him back against his pillow. "Lay down and keep resting. Now that you can see again I'll bring you some books to read so you don't get bored while you rest. Okay?"</p>
      <p>"...I'd like that. Thank you."</p>
      <p>"Good. I get the feeling Cole's going to be back up here in a minute or two so he can hang out, and I know he'll want to work on his science fair project as soon as he can actually get started."</p>
      <p>"I'd like that, too." Connor was feeling more at ease and comfortable as his body healed and his mind settled. "It's something constructive and distracting. I won't be able to assist Barbara with her plants in the basement due to my wounded leg, but I will be able to help Cole with his project."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, yeah. You just want him to get to an 'A' on his project so he gets that special prize that I promised him."</p>
      <p>"...Is that wrong?" A pale blue blush blush formed over his face. The idea of Cole winning that little prize had gotten Connor a little excited as it was prize he knew he'd like to win himself. "I mean, I'm happy to help Cole get good grades, but-"</p>
      <p>"No, Connor, it's fine." Laughing a little Hank admired Connor's sporadic childlike innocence. "That's just what kids do."</p>
      <p>"...But I'm not a kid."</p>
      <p>"Trust me on this." Giving the deviant a slight tilt of the head Hank confirmed that Connor was in fact a kid. "You may be the most advanced prototype that CyberLife ever created, and you look like a twenty-something year old detective, but you're<em> far</em> from being an adult."</p>
      <p>"Is that a bad thing?"</p>
      <p>"Nope." The senior detective confirmed with a sincere smile as he watched his deviant son slowly recovering from his past trauma. "It's just a weird thing."</p>
      <p>"And is being weird a bad thing?"</p>
      <p>"Never." Sitting down beside Connor for a moment Hank made sure the deviant was truly feeling better, safe and at peace. "Normalcy is overrated. Trust me, I'm speaking from personal experience."</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Moving Forward</h2></a>
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      <p>Still wary of the world around him after enduring such a brutal assault and his previous abduction Connor made a slow but steady recovery at home, while hiding out in his bedroom. Barbara and Sumo spent all day with Connor as he healed while Cole was at school and Hank was at the precinct, but once Cole was home he rushed into Connor's bedroom to hang out and get some help with his science and math homework until Hank came home from his shift to start to dinner for the family.</p>
      <p>Working to strengthen his injured right leg Connor and Barbara moved their private dance lessons from the basement and into his bedroom, one of the new tomato plants had also been brought into Connor's bedroom to help brighten up the private space with fresh and blossoming life. The small exercises were enough to help the deviant heal, and to help Barbara restrengthen her spine.</p>
      <p>It was an odd little practice but it was proving beneficial to both parties involved, even if it did leave Connor feeling exhausted and needing to lay down on his bed and rest again.</p>
      <p>"Hi, Connor!" Cole jumped onto the foot of Connor's bed with his backpack in his hands and pulled out his science textbook as he sat down beside the healing deviant propped up against his pillows. As he sat down Sumo grumbled and scooted aside as the young boy sat down next to his older brother. "I'm back from school."</p>
      <p>"Hi, Cole." Still wearing a dark hoodie to cover his still healing face as his artificial skin struggled to regenerate around his eyes, Connor watched as Cole opened up his book and pulled out his homework to begin. "Another chemistry test?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. I still think I can win the science fair if I can get a good enough grade to use the chemistry sets at school."</p>
      <p>"And you still want to go with your original idea for your science project?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah! It'll win for sure!"</p>
      <p>"Okay. I don't know how Hank- <em>dad</em>," he corrected himself quickly as he became more and more comfortable with the term. "will feel about this. Mom's already on board with the project."</p>
      <p>"He'll be cool with it as long as you're helping me out."</p>
      <p>"Well, that's yet to be seen." Moving his legs so Cole layout his text book and assignment sheet Connor proceeded to help Cole as he needed it with his advanced chemistry homework. "Let's worry about your test now, and the science fair later."</p>
      <p>"Okay. I also have a math test, too."</p>
      <p>"That won't be a problem, either."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>By the time Cole finished his homework with Connor's help Hank had come home from work, recapped his day with Barbara as she tended to her plants in the basement and went upstairs to check on his two sons. Seeing the younger boy entirely comfortable around Connor and treating him like a true member of the family always confirmed that Hank did the right thing by taking the deviant in as his own, and seeing Connor acting more like himself after the traumatic events he had just endured was a massive relief in itself.</p>
      <p>"Hey, boys. Got your homework done?"</p>
      <p>"Yup." Cole slammed his assignment back into the text book and slipped the book back into his backpack. "Got a test Friday, and I'm going to get an 'A'."</p>
      <p>"I like the confidence." Hank remarked as Cole left the bedroom to put his backpack away for the night. Turning to look at Connor for a moment Hank wanted to pull down the deviant's hood to look at his face, but at the same time he knew Connor needed time to<em> feel</em> fully healed before he'd show is face again. "How do you feel right now, Connor? You know, <em>really</em> feel."</p>
      <p>"...I'm not in any pain if that's what you're wondering."</p>
      <p>"Well that's good. Do you think you're ready to go back to the precinct yet?"</p>
      <p>"...I don't think so." Pressing his fully healed right fingertips to the side of his still healing face he let out a weary sigh. "Not until I'm one-hundred percent."</p>
      <p>"Have you been out of the house at all while we were gone?"</p>
      <p>"Only to let Sumo inside and outside through the backdoor on occasion to exercise my leg."</p>
      <p>"I'm not trying to push you but you do need to get up and keep living your life. That asshole isn't getting out of prison, EVER."</p>
      <p>"It's not my fear of Zlatko that's keeping me here," there was shame in Connor's voice that neither of them had heard before. "it's my fear of facing Markus."</p>
      <p>"Wait, what?"</p>
      <p>"I'm... I'm supposed to protect everyone, and I failed to protect myself. How can I be expected or trusted to-"</p>
      <p>"Connor, don't think like that." Sitting down on the bed beside Connor without getting to close Hank used a very confident tone to remind Connor that he had done nothing wrong, and what happened to him was a horrible tragedy. "You were ATTACKED and <em>couldn't</em> fight back, it wasn't that you chose not to fight back; it's that you simply couldn't."</p>
      <p>"I still feel like I failed."</p>
      <p>"Well, you didn't. Honestly, I think you're dealing with survivor's guilt and not fear."</p>
      <p>"...Perhaps."</p>
      <p>"Maybe you should speak with someone about it."</p>
      <p>"...Maybe."</p>
      <p>Cole returned to the bedroom with his basketball in his hands and gave the two detectives a hopeful look. "You guys wanna' play?"</p>
      <p>Putting his hand on the back of Cole's head Hank rubbed through his hair a little before replying. "Tomorrow, son. I have the day off and I'll be able to play all afternoon. I promise."</p>
      <p>"Okay. What about you, Connor? Wanna' play?"</p>
      <p>Hank spoke up on the mentally exhausted deviant's behalf. "He needs more time to heal, too."</p>
      <p>"...Okay."</p>
      <p>"Go take your bath and I'll get dinner started."</p>
      <p>"But we'll play basketball tomorrow, right?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. As soon as you're home from school we'll play a few rounds before you do your homework."</p>
      <p>"Cool!" Tossing his basketball back in his bedroom Cole walked downstairs and gave the two detectives privacy to speak.</p>
      <p>"Son," Hank continued on in a completely understanding voice. "I know you're not feeling quite like yourself yet, but you will. Just be patient."</p>
      <p>Dropping his hand from his face Connor nodded a little as he stretched out his legs and proceeded to lay back over his bed to try to rest for a moment longer. His energy levels still felt low despite his recovery. "You're right."</p>
      <p>"Do ya' need any more Thirium or anything?"</p>
      <p>"No, my reserves are still at one-hundred percent. Thank you, though."</p>
      <p>"Okay. I'm going to make dinner, if you do need anything just ask."</p>
      <p>"Yeah I know. But I'll be okay by myself. Take care of Barbara and Cole."</p>
      <p>"Sure. Get some more rest. Your skin is look a lot better, so I'm betting by morning you'll be fully healed."</p>
      <p>The deviant gently used his fingertips to caress the partially healed artificial skin on his face again before he turned to his right side and tried to rest. "...That'd be nice."</p>
      <p>As Hank left the bedroom Connor closed his eyes and sensed the overhead light being turned off as his father figure exited. It was a peaceful quiet ambience in the dark room that resonated with the anxious deviant, and actually allowed him to rest. Entering rest mode his auditory processors remained somewhat active as he listened to Hank messing around in the kitchen, heard Barbara's electric wheelchair guiding her about the house and pipes in the bathroom rattling as Cole took his bath down on the ground floor.</p>
      <p>Everything felt normal and peaceful but Connor couldn't quite fully relax yet. The memories of what happened to him were still vivid and his nightmares were still frequent. Whereas the first nightmare had been the worst and caused him to wake up screaming, the following nightmares weren't nearly as intense yet kept him on edge at all times. Doing his best to avoid the dark memories haunting him Connor fell asleep and set an internal alarm to awaken him every fifteen minutes to avoid having a nightmare, and spent a less than ideally restful night waking up before his nightmares became too intense, and proceeded to take chronicle of everything happening in the house as a means remaining grounded and calm.</p>
      <p>"...I'm home." He whispered to himself as let out a slow calming breath and refused to let his fears overtake him. "I'm <em>home</em> and I'm <em>safe</em>."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The following morning Connor forced himself to get up and leave the house for the first time since he had been injured. His legs were shaking and his body felt like one massive bruise, but he was determined to get moving and found a way to leave the house; at least for a few hours to start with. Stumbling through his door frame in an awkward manner Connor walked down the staircase, using the railing as a means of keeping his balance as he made his way down to the first floor on his unsteady legs. He caught sight of Cole opening the front door to head out to his carpool for school that morning, and the little boy noticed that Connor was finally awake.</p>
      <p>"Connor!"</p>
      <p>"Hi, Cole."</p>
      <p>"Are you better yet?"</p>
      <p>"Almost." He replied honestly as he felt Sumo walk up behind him and press his cold wet nose into his hand as he stood at the bottom of the staircase. Giving the dog some attention Connor tried to remain as honest as he could with the young boy without disappointing him. "I need a little more time, but I am getting better."</p>
      <p>Hank's voice sounded off from behind Connor as well as he crossed the livingroom, and clapped his right hand down on the deviant's left shoulder. "Glad to hear it." Passing Cole a packed up lunch in a lunch box to put in his backpack he bid his youngest son a good day at school as Cole opened the front door to leave. "Remember, right after school we can play some basketball, so don't be late."</p>
      <p>"Right! See ya', dad!" Running through the front door with his backpack hanging off of his back Cole rushed out the van parked on the street already loaded up with other kids his age. "Bye, Connor!"</p>
      <p>"...Bye."</p>
      <p>"You know he's really looking forward to you helping him with the science fair." Hank stated as he turned his full attention to the deviant beside him. "As long as he doesn't do something stupid and burn off his eyebrows I don't care what you two work on."</p>
      <p>"I assure you that when the time comes to work on the project I won't let anything happen to him."</p>
      <p>"I know that, son. You're a great big brother to Cole." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank gave the deviant a curious glance. "So, what's the plan for today?"</p>
      <p>"...I want to go to New Jericho Tower."</p>
      <p>"That's fine by me, but can I ask what for?"</p>
      <p>"I want to speak with Markus and see if I can help with other victims of Zlatko's experiments."</p>
      <p>"Sounds like a good idea, son." Proud of Connor's decision Hank supported it fully. "Want me to drive you there?"</p>
      <p>"...That might be for the best. But I can't ask you to sit in the car and wait for me, though."</p>
      <p>"Sure you ya' can. Besides, I don't mind waiting for as long as it takes for you to do what you need to feel comfortable again."</p>
      <p>"Thank you... Ha- <em> dad</em>."</p>
      <p>Smirking a little Hank returned his hand to Connor's shoulder and shook once. "I know you're not used to calling me that, so if it makes you uncomfortable you can go back to calling me 'Hank' again."</p>
      <p>"...I'll work on that. I really will."</p>
      <p>"Don't sweat it, kid. Let's get you out to the tower now so you can begin to heal."</p>
      <p>"Thank you. What about Barbara?"</p>
      <p>"She's a big girl and can handle having the house to herself for a while. Hell, she might even enjoy the peace and quiet for a while."</p>
      <p>"Yes, of course. I remember now."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The ride was unusually unnerving for the wounded deviant despite Hank being a skilled driver. The fear that someone would ambush the car and attack either Hank or himself was making his heart thunder in his chest, and made his breaths shallow and rapid. Gripping onto his jeans over his knees with tight fists Connor stared down at the floorboard under his feet as he leaned forward and allowed his hood to completely cover his face. The panic attack was unexpected and it was pushing Connor's stress levels higher and higher as Hank drove deeper into the city, and neared the tower in the distance.</p>
      <p>"Connor?" From the corner of his eye Hank watched as the deviant began to panic a little. "What's going on?"</p>
      <p>"I... I don't want... What if I... What if we..."</p>
      <p>"Take it easy. Breathe in and out, nice and slow." Waiting for Connor to take in his much needed deep and calming breaths Hank slowed the car down and audibly locked the doors with a press of a button to his left. His experience as a detective told Hank everything he needed to know to recognize that Connor was suffering from his anxiety. "Now, what's making you so upset?"</p>
      <p>"...Attack. A-Ambush."</p>
      <p>"No one's going to attack us, son. We're safe in here. This car isn't autonomous and it CAN'T be hacked. Alright?"</p>
      <p>"...Y-Yeah. Alright."</p>
      <p>"Just breathe slowly and don't think about it. We're almost at the tower already, and you can speak to Markus."</p>
      <p>"...N-No. I can't... I don't... I can't do it!"</p>
      <p>"Do you want to go back to the house?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes. No!" The desire, the responsibility to speak to Markus regarding deviant hate crimes was prevalent in his mind and very important. And yet, Connor couldn't bring himself to face Markus directly. Not just yet. "I... I don't... I don't know what I want to do."</p>
      <p>"It's okay, son. The fact that you're willing to even leave the house after everything you went through is a massive step forward. Why don't we go back home and try again tomorrow?"</p>
      <p>"...I don't want to hide forever. I can't."</p>
      <p>"You're not hiding, you're taking care of yourself." Turning the car at the next corner Hank circled around to return home so Connor could take a few moments to regain his senses and calm himself down. Driving back at a slow and steady pace Hank kept one eye on Connor and the other eye on the road. "Why don't you help me make dinner tonight? It's been a while since you experimented with a new recipe, and it'll give you something else to think about for a while."</p>
      <p>Connor lifted up his hands and stared at his shaking palms after his fingers wrinkled the denim of his jeans. The damage he had suffered at Zlatko's hands had healed, and there wasn't even a scar left behind, and yet Connor swore he could still see the blue blood staining his hands. "...I don't think it'd be wise to let me near a hot stove or oven at the moment."</p>
      <p>"Alright, that's fair." Trying to think of an alternate way to help Connor move on from his traumatic experience Hank made a less than subtle suggestion. "Uh, doesn't Josh have that therapy group for deviants?"</p>
      <p>"...That's only for deviants who are struggling with their deviancy. Not those of us who... were foolish."</p>
      <p>"You didn't do anything wrong. That psychotic asshole Zlatko did EVERYTHING wrong."</p>
      <p>"It doesn't feel that way."</p>
      <p>"It will in time, just be patient." I felt like shit the night of the shooting the paralyzed Barb."</p>
      <p>"...But she survived."</p>
      <p>"I know, and I'm eternally grateful that he's still with me, but that doesn't mean I don't feel like I failed to protect her."</p>
      <p>"...Is that why you dislike it when Barbara doesn't ask you for help with everything?"</p>
      <p>"You noticed, huh?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. I know it isn't anything personal, it's merely a painful reminder of the shooting and that Barbara lost her ability towalk due to the severity of her injury."</p>
      <p>"It's weird. I hate seeing the wheelchair and watching her struggle with the staircase or handling the stove, but the fact that she still tries to go about as if nothing happened is incredible on her part." Giving Connor a proud smile Hank pushed his adopted son to keep going forward. "As long as she has love and support she can overcome everything, and never let her past trauma hold her back."</p>
      <p>"...Maybe I should take lessons from Barbara."</p>
      <p>"Hey, like I said, you just need to be patient."</p>
      <p>"I can't be patient. The longer it takes for me to overcome my own fear and regain the confidence necessary to return to the precinct other deviants are in danger, and being harmed by other vicious people like Zlatko."</p>
      <p>"Listen to me, son." Without startling the righteously edgy deviant Hank put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and held tight. "You're not the only one looking out for deviants anymore. I've been keeping things under control while you're recovering, and you know Chris is always willing to step up to a new challenge and help us out. You're not alone at the precinct, or at home. Okay?"</p>
      <p>"...Okay."</p>
      <p>"Good. We'll take Sumo for a quick walk around the block and find something new for dinner. We'll work on it together so you don't have to worry about getting too close to the stove or anything like that. Deal?"</p>
      <p>Nodding his head a little Connor agreed to the plans and began to feel more at ease as Hank pulled the car into the driveway beside the house. "...Deal."</p>
      <p>"Come on." After parking the car in the driveway Hank turned off the engine and opened his door to step outside of the vehicle. Waiting for Connor to do the same Hank escorted Connor inside the house through the sliding backdoor. "I bet Cole would love to try a new pasta dish tonight. Italian recipes were always Barb's specialty, but I think your skill in the kitchen might be good enough to pass as her old cooking style. She can help you out."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The walk around the block helped Connor to clear his head, but instead of walking with Hank around the neighborhood with Connor he was joined by Barbara. She continued to speak with Connor and remind him that he was going to be just fine and needed to pace himself. Barbara also reminded him that it took her some time to work up the courage to leave the house after she was shot out of fear of being shot again. Letting Hank encourage her to keep going with her life as he supported her through her physical therapy had done wonders for her psyche, and now she wanted to help Connor in the same way.</p>
      <p>As they circled the block to return home Barbara grabbed onto Connor's right hand and held gently. "How do you feel?"</p>
      <p>"...Tired."</p>
      <p>"Is your leg still hurting you?"</p>
      <p>"It's an ache type of pain, but it's not a hindrance." Admitting his discomfort felt humbling and almost embarrassing. "The tired I'm describing is more... cerebral."</p>
      <p>"I get it. Emotional and mental exhaustion are just as potent as physical exhaustion."</p>
      <p>"If my inability to help you with your physical recov-"</p>
      <p>"Connor," squeezing his hand as they neared the house with Sumo leading the way as they came to the end of their walk Barbara refused to let Connor blame himself for being tired after he had been assaulted. "what you went through is far more serious and important than me not stepping on Hank's toes while we dance. It's just fine and I can wait."</p>
      <p>"Thank you for understanding."</p>
      <p>"We all understand, honey. It's not easy to recover from something as horrible as what you went through, don't rush yourself and don't you try to put the weight of the world on your shoulders all because you think you need to be indestructible. You don't need to be and no one is."</p>
      <p>"I know. Hank keeps reminding me of the same thing."</p>
      <p>"Then you know it's true." Returning to the front door of the house side by side Barbara flashed Connor a proud smile. "We're both very proud of you, Connor. You don't have to prove yourself to us, to Cole or to anyone else! You're a good person and we'll always love and trust you as our son."</p>
      <p>Feeling the dull emotional ache in his heart beginning to lessen Connor was truly appreciative of his supportive family being patient with him as he struggled to recover from his horrific experience. "Thank you... mom. I will remind myself of this truth."</p>
      <p>"Come on." Opening the front door and laughing as Sumo barreled his way through the door ahead of them Barbara insisted that Connor stop worrying about his recovery for a while. "Let's get dinner started and just enjoy the nice quiet evening together." As she wheeled into the house she gave Connor the kindest and warmest smile possible. "We all need the moment of peace right now."</p>
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          <strong>-next chapter-</strong>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Construction and Deconstruction</h2></a>
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      <p>A month of normalcy allowed the Anderson clan to move on past Connor's abduction and assault, and Connor's physical injuries had healed entirely. However, the damage Connor had sustained emotionally, mentally and psychologically had yet to heal, and as a result the deviant refused to return to the precinct to work. Ever patient and compassionate Hank made sure no one at the precinct spread rumors about the deviant behind his back, and while at the house he kept Connor's mind preoccupied with either Sumo or trying new hobbies. It seemed as though the only thing that could hold Connor's attention and keep him from thinking about how he had nearly died was working with Cole on the young boy's science fair project and helping Barbara with her plants in the basement.</p>
      <p>Tonight was Cole's turn to have Connor's full attention as the brothers reconvened in the basement to resume work on the impressive and complicated project at hand. The work was set up on the workbench next to the greenhouses and was far enough away to not accidentally harm Barbara's plants by being too close in contact.</p>
      <p>"Now what do we do?" Cole asked excitedly as he and Connor sat together in the basement with his project slowly getting pieced together at the work bench. It was a grand display of android biocomponents that was meant to show how similar human and android anatomy were to one another, and it was very impressive for the average fifth grader. "We have the mini Thirium pump built and the lines connected, so how do we make it pump?"</p>
      <p>"The same way the human heart beats." Connor was still wearing the dark blue hoodie and he was keeping the hood pulled up over his head to hide his face despite his healed wounds. The self consciousness he had developed was a little disconcerting, but again Hank was a very patient man and was willing to wait out Connor's need to hide. "What impulses will tell the pump to expand and contract to make the Thirium flow through the lines?"</p>
      <p>"Electricity..." Cole's blue eyes lit up at the idea of getting to experiment with electricity and batteries. "Cool!"</p>
      <p>"Remember it's still dangerous to be reckless with electricity, even in a small amount."</p>
      <p>"I know... Mom and dad tell me every time I come down here to work on my project."</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate that you're careless."</p>
      <p>The comment made Cole tilt his head a little. "...What does 'insinuate' mean?"</p>
      <p>"It means I had made an assumption toward you or your actions."</p>
      <p>"...So you just 'assumed'?"</p>
      <p>"Yes."</p>
      <p>"Why didn't you just say 'assume'?"</p>
      <p>"...I don't know. 'Insinuate' was merely the first chosen word that came to mind."</p>
      <p>"Weird."</p>
      <p>"Yes." Smirking a little Connor agreed with the little boy's observation. "I suppose it is."</p>
      <p>Cole just shrugged it off and looked at the mini pump that he and Connor built together through spare biocomponents and computer boards, and did so with a sense of accomplishment written all over the grin on his face. "How're we going to hook up the battery to the mini pump?"</p>
      <p>"By 'we' you mean me as Ha- <em>dad</em>, doesn't want you to get accidentally get shocked or possibly burned with battery acid in the event of a structural breech. I will adhere a nine volt battery to the pump by soldering the lines in place."</p>
      <p>"But this is <em>my</em> project!" Cole defended with a visibly offended look in his blue eyes. The very same shade of blue as his father's eyes. "It's my grade..."</p>
      <p>"...You're right again." Connor relented as he picked up the plastic case holding the small soldering iron and the new wiring pack that had been purchased specifically for the science fair project. Not wanting to cross any lines or overrule Hank's parenting Connor made a tough decision and set everything up for Cole to use himself. "Then you will do the work after I show you how to do so properly, and with dad and I both supervising you."</p>
      <p>"Really?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. If you injure yourself then you will stop soldering and let either of us finish it for you. Is that acceptable?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah! I want to do it by myself."</p>
      <p>"Okay. I'll find you the appropriate material to practice soldering with, and I'll locate the proper safety equipment you'll be using through the event."</p>
      <p>"You can record me soldering the wires, right?"</p>
      <p>"Of course. I'm completely capable of doing such a feat, and I've already recorded the entirety of your work to be used in your display piece. It'll also ensure that your teacher and the judges know you did all of the work yourself, and that I was merely here to assist as your lab partner."</p>
      <p>"Cool! I'm going to get an 'A' for sure!" Cole's eyes were completely alight with excitement as he and Connor headed toward the basement staircase to get back up to the ground floor. "And then dad has to keep his word and give me the prize!"</p>
      <p>"He will, Cole. I know he would never break a promise to you."</p>
      <p>Reaching the ground floor Connor watched as Cole excitedly ran out into the garage through the laundry room door ahead of Connor and began sifting through the tools while the deviant followed after him. Before he had the chance to meet Cole in the garage the front door opened and Hank walked inside looking completely exhausted and ready to drop.</p>
      <p>"Hey, Connor." The tired Lieutenant greeted as warmly as possible as he closed the door behind him. "How ya' feeling?"</p>
      <p>"Physically fine."</p>
      <p>"Still not ready to go back to the precinct?"</p>
      <p>"...I believe I'll be ready to return in six days."</p>
      <p>"Six days?" Shrugging off his coat Hank gave the deviant an inquisitive stare. "That's oddly specific."</p>
      <p>"In five days Cole's school is having the science fair. I promised him I'd help him set everything up and be there to support him."</p>
      <p>"That's right. Shit, he's been talking about it since the beginning of the school year, I forgot it's just around the corner."</p>
      <p>"You're going to go to the fair, correct?"</p>
      <p>"He's my son, of course I'm going." Walking over toward Connor with slow pace Hank put his left hand on the deviant's right shoulder and peered at Connor's face beneath the fabric of the hoodie pulled up over his head. "Where is he right now?"</p>
      <p>"...In the garage."</p>
      <p>"Uh-huh." Crossing his arms over his chest he gave Connor a suspicious look. "And why's he out there?"</p>
      <p>"...I told him with either mine or your own strict supervision, and after some practice, that he could solder the wires to his project himself."</p>
      <p>"You're going to let him use the soldering iron?"</p>
      <p>"Under my watch and after I show him the proper method and safety procedure for handling the tool."</p>
      <p>Hank didn't say anything he just gave Connor a somewhat stern gaze.</p>
      <p>"...I'm sorry." Looking away from Hank with shame in his eyes Connor was evidently feeling like he overstepped Hank's rights as a parent. "I'll tell him-"</p>
      <p>"It's okay."</p>
      <p>"Huh?" Connor turned back quickly and his brow furrowed with confusion. "It's okay?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah. If you think he can handle the soldering iron then let him. I don't want him to feel like I don't trust him."</p>
      <p>"He already knows that. He knows you're only taking precautionary steps to keep him from getting hurt."</p>
      <p>"To be honest, Connor, I'm glad you're helping him out on this project instead of me."</p>
      <p>"Why's that?"</p>
      <p>"Every time I see Cole fearlessly pick up anything that could hurt him; tools, wires, batteries, chemicals from his chemistry set... I freak out internally. I never want to see Cole injured for the rest of our lives, but that's just not realistic. Kids are going to get hurt, and they're going to pick themselves up from the ground and keep on living. I guess reaching adulthood steals that courage away from us over time."</p>
      <p>"No, that courage just gets redirected toward helping other people and away from your own needs. I guess... I guess that's why I'm having difficulty coming to term with what happened to me." Connor began wringing his hands together nervously as he spoke and had a personal revelation regarding his own mindset. "I am just as preoccupied with keeping Cole safe and because of that I'm... redirecting my instincts from keep myself alive and I'm focusing on him."</p>
      <p>Clapping his hand back down on Connor's shoulder with pride Hank just smiled kindly at the deviant he called his second son. "Just like a real big brother."</p>
      <p>"...Those memories of the alternate timeline, knowing that Barbara and Cole were gone and you were suffering... They make me so afraid of the possible future in this new timeline."</p>
      <p>"Don't be afraid, son. It took me months to accept that no matter what I did or how hard I tried I wouldn't be able to protect Barb and Cole from every little evil in this world. You need to accept the same thing in order to move on and overcome your own fears over time."</p>
      <p>"Now that I understand where my hesitation was coming from I think I'll finally be able to do just that."</p>
      <p>"Good to hear."</p>
      <p>From inside the garage Cole called out to Connor seeking his help in find the right tools and material he needed. "Hey Connor! What am I supposed to be looking for anyway?"</p>
      <p>Truly amused Hank just laughed as Connor took a step away from himself and turned to enter the garage where Cole was rummaging around. With a paternal pride in his eyes Hank gave the duo a casual wave of his hand as he walked into the bathroom to shower off after work and try to relax. "Hard to believe those two aren't actually biological brothers, they're so much alike sometimes it scares me."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Throughout the evening Connor guided Cole with the proper procedure for soldering the fine metal components and wires to the circuit board, and to the power couplings attached to the mini pump. The young boy was wearing a pair of safety goggles to protect his eyes, and pair of oversized, but still effective, heat resistant gloves as he slowly moved the hot iron from point to point under the deviant's tutelage. Using a magnifying glass and a bright light to aid his eyesight Cole was working with an impressive speed and accuracy, and did so without accidentally harming himself in the process.</p>
      <p>"Like this?" Cole asked as he finished securing the first line to the circuit board and held it under the light to inspect his work.</p>
      <p>"Correct. Your work is effective."</p>
      <p>"How do I know if I wired it right?"</p>
      <p>Connor ran a scan over the wires and circuit board and confirmed the correct connections and solid connection to the couplings. "My scanner confirms your wiring was indeed correct. It's ready to be powered up."</p>
      <p>"Cool!" Unplugging the soldering iron from the outlet Cole set it aside and slipped of his gloves and goggles with enthusiasm. "Can we connect the Thirium lines and add the Thirium now?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. Securing the lines won't be difficult, but keeping them secured will be."</p>
      <p>"I can do it!"</p>
      <p>"I know you can."</p>
      <p>From the top of the staircase Hank called down to Cole to come upstairs for dinner. "Hey, Cole? Chow time!"</p>
      <p>Cole was actually reluctant to stop working on his project, but knew that his dad and surrogate older brother wouldn't let him skip a meal. "Okay, I'm coming."</p>
      <p>Putting away the used tools Connor cleaned up the work table and eyed over the display board that Cole was going to use for his project. The young boy was very sharp and had a knack for science, which of course meant whenever he asked for Connor's help on homework he didn't really need it; he just wanted to spend time with the deviant and hang out.</p>
      <p>Picking up the display board Connor placed it down neatly on the table and off the floor to ensure it didn't get dirty or damaged by mistake.</p>
      <p>"You coming, Connor?" Cole shouted down from the staircase as he realized the deviant hadn't followed him upstairs.</p>
      <p>"Yes, of course."</p>
      <p>Upstairs in the kitchen Cole was sitting at the table next to Hank and across from Barbara as the three humans enjoyed their dinner and talked about their day. Sumo was laying on the floor beneath the table and wagging his tail as he waited for Cole to slip him a few bites from his plate as a nice treat. As soon as Connor was upstairs he walked over to the kitchen through the basement doorway and sat down in the fourth chair beside the table to join his family during dinner time.</p>
      <p>"You can stay up until nine, tonight." Hank stated as he watched Cole trying to eat his food as quickly as possible so he could get back to his project downstairs. It was actually difficult to put a limit on Cole's homework time since the little boy was working hard and determined to be the best in his whole class. "Not a minute later since you have school tomorrow."</p>
      <p>"But I'm almost done! I can finish tonight!"</p>
      <p>Barbara backed up Hank's comment and made it known that even though it was homework Cole still had a bedtime to obey. "Then you don't have to worry about being late for the fair if you're almost done. Nine o'clock."</p>
      <p>Connor smirked a little as he watched Cole's shoulders slump with disappointment. "Once we connect the lines to the pump it'll need twenty-four hours to set before you can add the Thirium anyway. Connecting the lines is the appropriate place to stop for the night, and you can finish the pump tomorrow evening."</p>
      <p>"Then what?"</p>
      <p>"Complete the final details on your presentation board. It's already very impressive, it just needs to be finished."</p>
      <p>Hank gave his youngest son a slightly stern glance. "What about your actual report? Is that done?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, Connor already read it over and helped with the spelling errors."</p>
      <p>"Cool. Sounds like you two are right on track."</p>
      <p>Cole finished his dinner in record time and pushed his empty plate forward. "Can I go back downstairs?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. You're good."</p>
      <p>Rushing away from the kitchen table Cole disappeared back into the basement and Connor got up from the table to follow after him.</p>
      <p>"Hey, Connor?" The adoptive father stopped Connor for a moment.</p>
      <p>"Yes?" The deviant froze as he waited for Hank to address him further.</p>
      <p>"Thanks for helping Cole so much."</p>
      <p>"It's not anything you need to thank me for. I'm happy to help him." Continuing down into the basement Connor found Cole anxiously checking through the provided tubes and couplings to be attached to the mini pump, and he put his left hand on the little boy's right shoulder. "Do you know how to properly secure the couplings and attach the tubes?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I was reading about Thirium lines last night. They need to have a tight grip so the pressure of the pump doesn't make a line pop loose and leak."</p>
      <p>"That's right."</p>
      <p>"I'll secure the lines and you can make sure I did it right."</p>
      <p>"That sounds like a good plan. Your hard work is going to give an 'A' for sure."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>When nine o'clock in the evening rolled around Hank closed his book, and got up from the recliner to call down to his two sons in the basement, but didn't have to as he saw Connor walking up the stairs with Cole, fast asleep, in his arms. The young boy had exhausted himself after putting all of his excited energy into his science fair project and had fallen asleep at the work table in the basement while Connor checked over his work to ensure everything was connected correctly, and ready to be finished off.</p>
      <p>"I did say he had to go to sleep at nine." Hank whispered as Connor carried Cole upstairs and made for the second staircase to get to the second floor bedrooms. He could feel Barbara's eyes watching them as she grinned from her spot on the couch. "But I didn't expect him to fall asleep at literally nine o'clock on the dot."</p>
      <p>"He just laid his head down to rest his eyes, but within fourteen point four seconds he had fallen asleep."</p>
      <p>"Cole really wants to win that fair." Laughing a little as he followed after Connor up the staircase Hank just watched as the deviant gently placed Cole down in the little boys top bunk bed and backed away without making a sound. "I just told him that if he got an 'A' on his project I'd get him something special. I don't actually expect him to win the entire science fair."</p>
      <p>"I believe Cole just really enjoys science." Connor explained as he and Hank left Cole's bedroom to let the little boy sleep in peace. "He has great enthusiasm and interest in the subject."</p>
      <p>"Good to know. Think he'll actually win?"</p>
      <p>"I believe he has the potential to win, yes. But I am not a judge."</p>
      <p>"Earlier when you said you were going to go back to the precinct in six days, what made you decided it was time to come back?"</p>
      <p>"...I just decided I needed to overcome my fears and resume my work as a detective. Just as you cannot shield Barbara and Cole from every problem in this world, I can't hide from them forever. I need to face them. I need to prove that I can protect my people."</p>
      <p>"You don't need to prove anything, Connor. You need to do things at your own pace when you're ready, not just because you think you need to go and push yourself to the next level because you believe being a detective holds you to a higher standard than every other deviant in the city. Got it?"</p>
      <p>"...I got it."</p>
      <p>"Good." Putting his hand to the back of Connor's head and over the hood that was still pulled up and hiding Connor's face Hank lightly rubbed his hand over Connor's hair through the fabric. He wanted to pull the hood down to look Connor in the face directly, but didn't do it as it was important for Connor to feel comfortable enough to show his face on his own terms. "Help me with the dishes and we can watch the end of the game."</p>
      <p>"Sounds good to me."</p>
      <p>Barbara stayed on the couch as she spoke to Hank and Connor as they walked into the kitchen. "How's his project coming along?"</p>
      <p>"It's nearly completed. Cole has done all of the work beyond purchasing the items necessary for the project, and will undoubtedly get a good grade."</p>
      <p>"That's wonderful. You've both been working so hard and I know he'll do well at the fair." Watching as Connor went about his more usual routine, the deviant was more relaxed and he was behaving more like himself. "We'll all be there for him during the fair and cheering him on!"</p>
      <p>"That will make Cole very happy." The deviant acknowledged in a sincerely optimistic tone. "And being a part of the science fair will be an interesting experience for myself."</p>
      <p>"Cole will be proud to have his big brother there for him on his big day, too. I can't wait!"</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>It was almost midnight when Hank had fallen asleep in the recliner, and the football game transitioned to a late night horror movie from the 1920's. It was a silent film, one of the earliest recorded depictions of 'The Phantom of the Opera', and was considered a classic as it had withstood the tests of time for over a century now. Connor personally had no interest in the movie, neither had Barbara as she had already gone upstairs to go to bed for the night. Connor contemplated entering rest mode as along with the rest of his family as he made a move to get up from the couch to head upstairs to his bedroom.</p>
      <p>"Goodnight, Hank." He whispered in a soft tone as he walked around the side of the couch without disturbing Hank in the process as he made his way to the staircase. "I'll see you in the morning."</p>
      <p>Cybernetically Connor went to turn off the television but the depiction of the monstrous character in the old black and white film suddenly held his attention as the story's heroine pulled away the monster's mask, revealing his grotesquely malformed face, and she screamed in silent fear. The image and very idea of a person being so horribly scarred and deformed made Connor's Thirium pump stutter in his chest for a few seconds as his right fingertips pressed to the side of his face where his artificial skin had been previously cut away.</p>
      <p>Suddenly afraid Connor rushed into the ground floor bathroom and stared at his hooded face in the mirror over the sink. Pulling back the thick fabric of the dark hoodie Connor stared at his face and pressed his fingertips along the healed and regenerated artificial skin to check for any and all scars, deformities or signs of lingering damage.</p>
      <p>As his right fingertips pressed down against his skin and the plastimetal frame beneath Connor could feel and hear his Thirium pump, his heart, beating at a faster and louder rhythm that was making his whole body tremble as his blue blood surged through his lines rapidly. Putting his left hand against the surface of the mirror Connor took in fast panicking breaths causing him to hyperventilate, and in his fear he accidentally smashed his left hand against the mirror causing a searing pain through his palm as the large shards of sharp glass penetrated Connor's hand, cutting through fine Thirium lines and gouging through the plastimetal frame in the process.</p>
      <p>In his pain and sense of dread Connor fell backward from the mirror onto the floor, his back hitting the side of the bathtub with a painful 'thud' sound as he collapsed in a growing puddle of his own blue blood all around him. Breathing frantically and fighting to hold back his sobs Connor stared at the glass in his shaking hand for only a moment before he buried his face in both of his palms out of a crippling fear that had left him laying helpless on the floor in emotional turmoil.</p>
      <p>Two quick knocks on the bathroom door went unanswered as Hank spoke through the wooden barrier to the deviant inside. "Cole? Connor? What happened?" Knocking again Hank tested the doorknob and pushed the door open as soon as he realized it wasn't locked. The door swung open quickly and Hank looked down at the floor to see Connor sitting on the floor with blue blood all over his hands and his face. "Connor?!" Dropping to his knees down in front of Connor the always protective father grabbed onto Connor's forearms and tried to pull the deviant's hands down from his face. "Connor? Connor, what's wrong? What's going on?"</p>
      <p>All Connor could do was whimper and hyperventilate rather than answer verbally.</p>
      <p>Hank glanced about and saw the broken mirror. The glass shards were all over the sink and the floor around it, and more alarming were the shards sticking in Connor's left hand. Softening his voice Hank spoke the deviant's name a few more times to try to get an answer, but received nothing in response. Very gently he pulled on Connor's arms to pull his hands down from his face and kept trying to get him to speak.</p>
      <p>"Connor? Connor, talk to me. I'm right here with you, son." The deviant was still hyperventilating and shaking with fear. "Connor, slow your breathing."</p>
      <p>Too shaken to respond Connor continued to breathe rapidly and kept his hands pressed to his face.</p>
      <p>"Connor," wrapping his arms around the deviant Hank pulled Connor in for a hug and could feel how fast Connor's heart was beating as his chest was pressed up against his own. The thundering heart and frantic breathing were all signs of a panic attack and Hank knew just what to do. "Connor, it's okay. Slow your breathing and match with my own." Pressing his right hand to the back of Connor's head Hank pulled the deviant in closer until Connor was resting right against his broad shoulder. "You can feel how slow I'm breathing, right? Just match me and you'll be okay."</p>
      <p>Despite Hank's soothing words Connor continued to hyperventilate and weep in painful sobs even as Han began to slowly rock back and forth and rub his hand along Connor's back in a surprisingly comforting manner.</p>
      <p>"Easy, it's okay." Lowering his voice until almost a whisper Hank breathed slowly and deeply to try to encourage Connor to do the same. "In and out. One slow breath in," he took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds; the lack of motion allowing him to feel just how rapid Connor's heartbeat had become. "and slow breath out. Breathe in." Repeating his actions Hank could feel that Connor was trying to slow his breathing to match his own. "Breathe out..."</p>
      <p>Without realizing what he was doing Connor began to slow his breathing until he matched Hank's own breaths, and in turn his sobbing became to calm and his heart was no longer thundering in his chest, although it was still racing.</p>
      <p>"Just like that, good." Hank continued to calm the deviant and hold onto him as Connor overcame his panic attack. "Just like that. You're okay, Connor. Breathe in and breathe out."</p>
      <p>Sitting back a little and out of Hank's arms Connor lowered his hands from his face and stared at the damage to his left hand, comparing it to the flawless albeit blood stained right hand beside it.</p>
      <p>"Connor? I'm not mad about the mirror or anything, okay?" Reaching up to the sink Hank turned on the faucet and began picking up the shards of broken mirror to be thrown into the nearby trashcan to prevent further injury. "I just want to know what happened."</p>
      <p>"...I...I panicked."</p>
      <p>"That I can see. Can you tell me <em>why</em> you panicked?"</p>
      <p>"...My face."</p>
      <p>"Your face?" Putting a clean washcloth under the running warm water Hank watched as Connor stayed on the floor still shaking slightly. Wringing out the excess water Hank turned off the faucet and knelt down in front of Connor again and curiously looked at the deviant's face under the hood. "What's wrong with your face?"</p>
      <p>"...Scars."</p>
      <p>"What scars?" The confusion in Hank's question was sincere, as was the gaze in his eyes as he tried to use the washcloth to clean the blood from Connor's injured left hand. "All I see is Thirium."</p>
      <p>Connor's focus lifted up from his palms to look Hank directly in the eyes as he let the senior detective remove the Thirium from his hands, and inspect the accidentally self inflicted damage to his left palm. "...I'm not... disfigured?"</p>
      <p>"No, son. You look the same as you always have." Very carefully he bent Connor's left fingers back to open up the deviant's palm fully and began to remove the glass from Connor's hand without hurting him or causing more damage. "Why are you freaking out over scars that aren't even there?"</p>
      <p>"...You don't see them?"</p>
      <p>"Son, there's nothing on your face." He looked at the blue smeared over his Connor's eyes and cheeks and gave the deviant a tilt of the head. "Well, except for all the Thirium stains."</p>
      <p>"...I'm not... I'm not scarred or deformed?"</p>
      <p>"No, Connor. You're physically fine. What're you seeing is all in your head because you're still dealing with what had happened to you."</p>
      <p>With a trembling right hand Connor pressed his fingertips to his face again as if needing to check to see what Hank was saying was really true.</p>
      <p>"Stand up." Pulling on Connor's arms just above the elbows Hank pulled the scared deviant up to his feet and helped him to walk over to the sink. With a father's touch Hank wiped the washcloth over Connor's face to remove the lingering Thirium from around his eyes and cheeks, and encouraged him to look at his face in the remaining fragments of the mirror still in the frame of the medicine cabinet. "Look. There's nothing wrong with your face. No scars, no damage, no deformities. You're still you, and you look exactly as you did the day we met."</p>
      <p>"...I do?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, Connor. I wouldn't lie to you, EVER. You're fine."</p>
      <p>Glancing up at a broken fragment of the mirror still large enough to show his face, albeit with a crack running through his reflection, and he stared at his own facade with teary brown soulful eyes. Returning his right fingertips to his face Connor watched as his touch met undamaged artificial skin and felt nothing amiss.</p>
      <p>"See?" Hank held Connor's left hand under the faucet to wash off the rest of the blue blood and remove the remaining mirror fragments from his wounded palm. The injury wasn't too deep and would heal on its own without needing technical assistance. "You're okay, son. You just need a little more time to get over what happened to you."</p>
      <p>"...How long will it take?"</p>
      <p>"Wish I knew for sure." The honesty in Hank's voice was still evident even in the secondary timeline, and that alone was helping Connor to feel grounded and safe. "Maybe talking to someone will help."</p>
      <p>"...I don't want to go to New Jericho Tower like this, or see the precinct psychiatrist." His voice was cracking a little with emotion. "It's... I don't know how to describe it."</p>
      <p>"Embarrassing?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes. I guess that would be the apt description." The logical part of his mind told him it was normal to speak to someone whenever someone, human or deviant, needed help; but his emotional part of his mind told him to hide and deny what happened to him had even happened. "...Is that foolish?"</p>
      <p>"No. It's a pretty common reaction to the idea of talking to a 'shrink'." Turning off the faucet Hank carefully dried off Connor's left palm and then reached for the android first aid kit tucked under the sink to wrap up Connor's hand to keep the wound clean. "You don't have to talk to anyone if you don't want to, but it can help. You can also just talk to me about these things, too, son. I'm your father, not just your partner or your friend. So you can tell me anything that's on your mind."</p>
      <p>Connor shook his head a little and took in a shuddering breath as he watched Hank wrap up his left hand and take care of his injury. "...C-Can we talk now?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah," in a way Hank was hoping that'd be Connor's answer. "come on."</p>
      <p>Wrapping his right arm around Connor's shoulder Hank guided the deviant out of the bathroom and into the livingroom so they could sit on the couch and talk. As the two detectives sat down on the comfortable furniture Sumo got up from his pillow in the corner of the the room and he put his chin down on Connor's right knee as he let out a sympathetic whimper and gave the deviant a single wag of his tail.</p>
      <p>Letting out a single shaking breath Connor bowed his head forward and didn't resist when Hank pulled him over for a supportive half-hug. Tears began to roll down his face and fall to the floor in steady, large drips as he felt the fear still beating in his heart.</p>
      <p>"It's okay to still be afraid, son." Hank comforted in a calm voice as he stayed beside his shaken son in the bathroom. "Tell me what happened..."</p>
      <p>
        <em>
          <strong>-next chapter-</strong>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Renewed</h2></a>
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      <p>Exhausted and nursing a cup of coffee Hank finished making Barbara and Cole's breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and bacon, and put the full plates down on the kitchen table as he listened to the younger boy walking around upstairs to get ready for school. Having stayed up until almost three in the morning with Connor and helping the shaken traumatized deviant talk about the torture he had endured at Zlatko's hands only made the senior detective all the more tried. Hearing Connor's story, hearing every detail the deviant was willing to recount regarding the sick experiments that Zlatko performed against helpless deviants and of how close Connor came to his death made Hank heart ache. Holding in his own tears for the sake of being a rock for Connor to lean against as he opened up about his horrible experience.</p>
      <p>Barbara had noticed that Hank hadn't gone to bed until the very late hour and asked about it. After he told her what happened she decided to spend the morning with Connor to try to help him feel better and know that his emotional breakdown wasn't anything to be ashamed of.</p>
      <p>Rubbing his left hand over his tired eyes Hank barely noticed Cole walking into the kitchen until his youngest son pulled back his chair to sit down behind his plate of fresh scrambled eggs. "Hey, dad?" Cole picked up his fork and poked at the plate with mild disinterest. "What happened to the mirror in the bathroom?"</p>
      <p>"...It broke last night." Hank decided there was no reason to bring up Connor at that moment. The traumatized deviant had been through enough as it is. "It'll be replaced this afternoon."</p>
      <p>"Is Connor okay?"</p>
      <p>"Huh?" Giving Cole his full attention Hank tried to figure out what Cole was referring to as he turned away from the stove as he finished off his own breakfast in the frying pan. "What do you mean?"</p>
      <p>"He's still asleep with mom watching over him, and his hand's all wrapped up."</p>
      <p>"He had a rough night, son. He cut his hand on the broken mirror, and he just had a bad memory bother him."</p>
      <p>"Was it because of what that one guy did to him?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah." Confirming the question Hank put his own eggs down on his own plate and joined Cole at the table. "He's still shaken up by it."</p>
      <p>"Is that why he sometimes cries at night?"</p>
      <p>"...What do you mean?"</p>
      <p>"I can hear Connor crying sometimes at night." Still fussing with his breakfast Cole's voice dipped as if he just gave away a very important secret. "I didn't know if that was something you already knew or not."</p>
      <p>"No, I didn't know that."</p>
      <p>"...Oh."</p>
      <p>"It's okay, Cole. I'm glad I know that now." Taking a sip of his coffee Hank sighed and glanced at the staircase leading to the second floor of the house where Connor was still sleeping with Barbara watching over him. "I guess he's been having more nightmares than he wanted to admit."</p>
      <p>"Is he going to be okay?"</p>
      <p>"He'll be fine, Cole."</p>
      <p>"...Dad, he's been acting a little weird ever since he came back from New Jericho that one night."</p>
      <p>"So you noticed that, too, huh?"</p>
      <p>"What happened out there? Was he hurt?"</p>
      <p>"...He was working on a case, worked too hard and he got sick. When it comes to androids," he lied quickly without insulting Cole's intelligence all the while preserving Connor's secret life in the alternate timeline. "overheating, or getting high fevers, can mess with their memories and sometimes their emotions since androids weren't supposed to have emotions to begin with."</p>
      <p>"Will he be like this forever?"</p>
      <p>"Not a chance. Remember how he was when he first started living here with us? And remember how after just a few weeks he became more comfortable with us and started acting more human? We're just going through that phase again."</p>
      <p>"Does that mean if he gets sick again we're going to have to keep going through that kind of stuff?"</p>
      <p>"I doubt it, son. He was <em>really sick</em> with a really high fever that night."</p>
      <p>"Good. I like it better when Connor doesn't act so defensive."</p>
      <p>"Hey, try not to worry about him. Connor's going to be just fine, and I know he'll be there for you during your science fair."</p>
      <p>"You'll be there, too, right?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. Me, your mom and Connor will all be there. Now," pointing at the barely touched eggs on Cole's plate Hank instructed his son to keep eating. "finish your breakfast."</p>
      <p>Cole only nodded as he continued to eat his eggs and Hank tried to think of a way to help Connor without embarrassing the deviant, or drawing too much attention to his seemingly peculiar behavior. As soon as Cole finished his breakfast Hank heard the carpool pull up out front and he got up from the table.</p>
      <p>"Alright, son. Have a good day at school and we'll play some more basketball, and finish off your project tonight so you can work on your display board. Cool?"</p>
      <p>"Cool." Grabbing his backpack from the end of the couch with his left hand Cole slung the heavy pack over his right shoulder as he opened the front door. "Bye dad!"</p>
      <p>"See ya'." Getting up from the table Hank walked through the livingroom and up the staircase to check on Connor as the deviant slept through the morning. Pushing open Connor's only partially shut bedroom door so he could peer inside Hank smirked at the sight of Sumo cuddled up to Connor's chest as the deviant laid on his left side and had his right arm wrapped around Sumo's shoulders like a toddler clutching at a teddy bear. "Good dog, Sumo."</p>
      <p>Barbara had been lightly rubbing her hand along Connor's back to help him stay asleep and feel comforted. "He's been calm all morning."</p>
      <p>"Good." Stepping into the bedroom quietly Hank put his hand on Connor's right shoulder and held his palm there as the deviant's eyes slowly open. "Sorry, son. I didn't mean to wake you up."</p>
      <p>"...It's okay."</p>
      <p>"How do you feel?"</p>
      <p>"...Oddly better."</p>
      <p>"See? Talking does help."</p>
      <p>"Yes. You were correct." Lifting his head up from the pillow Connor used his left arm and pushed the rest of his body upright so he could sit up on the bed and face Hank more directly as Barbara stopped rubbing his back. "...Aren't you going to be late to work?"</p>
      <p>"Nope. Day off. Tomorrow I won't be able to stick around so long, but today I can do whatever the hell I want."</p>
      <p>"...Cole?"</p>
      <p>"Went to school."</p>
      <p>"Oh."</p>
      <p>"Are you sick again?" Pressing his right palm against Connor's forehead, the hoodie still pulled up and hiding Connor's face even as the deviant slept, Hank checked for any sign of overheating. Connor's artificial skin felt normal and the deviant wasn't showing any other sign of distress. "No fever."</p>
      <p>"...I had chosen to lock up the memories I had with Zlatko in an isolated file to prevent my nightmares from returning, and as a means of moving forward. The end result has apparently affected my sense of time."</p>
      <p>"Is that healthy?"</p>
      <p>"It can't be any worse than chronic nightmares or paranoid delusions."</p>
      <p>"You're not paranoid, kid. You're just dealing with stress." Sitting down beside Connor on the bed Hank ran his left hand down Sumo's back and did his best to help Connor remain at ease. "Think you're still ready to go back to the precinct at the end of the week?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes. I need to move on."</p>
      <p>"Connor, let me ask you something." Somewhat hesitatingly Hank gave the deviant a somber glance as Barbara nodded in approval. She already knew of the odd truth that Connor had confided in Hank, and she wasn't afraid to talk about it. "With this timeline compared to the old one, were you always so afraid of being defected out, or replaced by a superior model?"</p>
      <p>"Replaced?"</p>
      <p>"Last night you said something about not living up to your full potential and being shutdown because of it. Was that a phobia you had in your original timeline?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes. CyberLife- They made it known that I was completely expendable. You helped me to understand that I am not a piece of equipment or a tool, that I am in fact alive. Now I'm afraid of... dying."</p>
      <p>"Don't be, son. The moment you start obsessing over death you'll forget to live." Putting his left hand on Connor's right shoulder Hank gave the deviant a sense of grounding and safety. "You taught me that."</p>
      <p>"...I did?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. When you went to CyberLife Tower to free the androids and help the Revolution I realized that trying to hide Barb and Cole away from the world wasn't going to keep them safe from death." Reaching out he took Barbara's hand and held tight. "But changing the world, changing things so they could keep living a normal life and not fearing any possible limitations that might come their way...<em> That's</em> how I can help my family and let them live."</p>
      <p>Connor's shoulder slouched a little as tension left his being and was quickly replaced with a sense of relief. "...I'm glad I could help."</p>
      <p>"How about today you and me go to New Jericho Tower and you chat with Markus. You know, you can help the other Zlatko victims get justice and a sense of peace before you lock up all those memories permanently?"</p>
      <p>"...That's a good idea."</p>
      <p>"And then after that we can make a stop and make sure Cole's prize is going to be ready for him."</p>
      <p>"But the science fair isn't for another five days."</p>
      <p>"I know that, and I know that Cole's going to get an 'A', which is all he needs. As his father I'm going to keep my word and let him have what he's earned, and let him know his hard work will pay off."</p>
      <p>"That's very reassuring to hear."</p>
      <p>"Come on." With a final pat to Connor's shoulder Hank stood up from the bed and motioned for the deviant to follow after him. "The sooner we get things taken care of the sooner you can get those shitty memories out of your head."</p>
      <p>"You're right. If I-" Pausing for a moment Connor put his right fingertips to right temple where his L.E.D. had once been, and gave Hank a sly grin. "That's something good to know."</p>
      <p>"What's up?" Hank's phone buzzed in his pocket and he quickly fished it out to examine the screen.</p>
      <p>"...Tina had her baby."</p>
      <p>Hank smirked at the screen showing Tina holding her newborn daughter in her arms, and saw the maternal pride glowing on her face. "Look at that. She's beautiful." Turning his phone so Barbara could see the image too Hank watched her eyes light up with joy. "What do ya' think, Barb?"</p>
      <p>"Oh, she's so precious! We need to send her a gift!"</p>
      <p>The idea was very positive and appealing to Connor as he tried to push away his dark thoughts for something more positive. "...Perhaps we can stop by the hospital to visit her and give her flowers, too."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, kid. That's a great idea. Let's all go get you taken care of at the tower, and go see that new baby."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The rest of the week progressed without any further nightmares or disturbing thoughts, and Connor was able to help Cole finish his project on time, and he had regained enough confidence to go out in public for a limited time when absolutely necessary. Sumo's daily walks with Barbara had helped, as did the errands he ran with Hank or whenever he and Cole needed to stop by the store for more supplies. The day of the science fair was going to be an interesting test as Connor had to remain in a large school with hundreds of people surrounding him, but only three people; Hank, Barbara and Cole, being the people he felt comfortable with.</p>
      <p>"Do you have everything you need?" Connor asked as he and Cole worked together to get his project out of its protective plastic tote and set up at the designated table in the school's gymnasium. The display was impressive and stood out against the neighboring baking soda volcano, and the scale model of the solar system. "I don't detect any leaks in the Thirium lines or instability in the circuit boards."</p>
      <p>"Everything looks okay, but..."</p>
      <p>"But what?" Brow furrowed Connor peered at Cole under his dark hood and watched as the little boy nervously wrapped his right hand around his left arm right at the elbow. He was kneeling down behind the table and reconnecting everything appropriately to ensure the display worked properly just as it had back at home in the basement. "Is something wrong?"</p>
      <p>"...I feel funny."</p>
      <p>"Funny how?"</p>
      <p>"It's like it's like my stomach is upset and I'm really restless."</p>
      <p>"You're nervous, Cole. I know how that feels."</p>
      <p>"How do I make it stop?"</p>
      <p>"We can go outside and get you some fresh air."</p>
      <p>"No, we're not allowed outside once we're in the school."</p>
      <p>"Why's that?"</p>
      <p>"It's the school's way to prevent cheating."</p>
      <p>"That seems like a very misinformed rule. If anyone were trying to cheat they'd bring their required supplies with them into the competition to avoid suspicion."</p>
      <p>"Maybe mom and dad can talk to the principal and let me outside for a minute."</p>
      <p>"That won't be for a while, Cole."</p>
      <p>"Why's that?"</p>
      <p>Connor didn't want to give away the surprise that Hank had been planning for Cole and instead came up with a plausible excuse. "He and mom wanted to drop off extra gifts for Tina and her baby at her apartment.</p>
      <p>"Oh."</p>
      <p>"When I was feeling overwhelmed with my own emotions dad helped me to overcome them by taking deep and calming breaths. Come with me." Showing Cole to the bleachers at the side of the gymnasium Connor led his little brother away from the growing crowd of people around them. "Sit down and take in a deep breath."</p>
      <p>Slowly Cole did as he was instructed and as he breathed the little boy's nerves began to settle. Connor breathed with him and together the two brothers worked through their anxiety and awaited their parents' arrival. It didn't take long for Cole to calm down, and it took even less time for Connor notice that Cole was feeling better.</p>
      <p>"Think you can go finish setting up your project now, Cole?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I'm good." Jumping off the bleachers Cole made his way back to the display to finish his work. "Thanks, Connor."</p>
      <p>Following after Cole just a few feet behind him Connor watched as the other students and their own parents also set up the projects and displays with a familial pride in their eyes. It was something that made Connor feel less like an outsider and more like someone who belonged in attendance for the big day.</p>
      <p>"Check it out!" Cole excitedly called over Connor as he turned on the device and watched the mini Thirium pump, one that was intentionally designed to mirror the every structure and chamber of the human heart, began to pump on its own and hold a consistent beat. "It still works! Nothing broke on the way to the school!"</p>
      <p>"I knew it wouldn't." The deviant replied confidently as he watched Cole admire his handiwork. Keeping his hoodie unzipped Connor appeared slightly more relaxed, but he kept his hood up and over his hair to hide his face. "You did very well in its overall construction."</p>
      <p>From behind Connor the two brothers heard Hank's voice respond with his own opinion on the matter. "You worked harder on this project than any of your other homework assignments all year long. It looks great, Cole."</p>
      <p>"Thanks, dad." Turning to face both of his parents Cole beamed proudly. "You're just in time!"</p>
      <p>"How long until the judges come around?" Putting his right hand on Cole's head he lightly rustled up his youngest son's hair under his palm. "I want to see you win the fair."</p>
      <p>"Maybe an hour. It might get boring, so you don't have to wait around."</p>
      <p>"Well, the point of a science fair is to check out everyone's project not just one. Why don't you finish up your display and we'll walk around and check out what everyone else made?"</p>
      <p>Cole looked back at his display board with a worried glance. "...I don't want to leave this alone. Some people are really mean toward androids still."</p>
      <p>"Oh."</p>
      <p>Connor tilted his head a little as he stepped a little closer to the table with Cole's project. "I'll remain here and ensure no one touches your work."</p>
      <p>"...You're sure?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. I'll walk around after you return to your display."</p>
      <p>"Right, thanks Connor."</p>
      <p>While Cole, Hank and Barbara walked around the gym to look at the other projects Connor remained by Cole's display and took in every detail that the little boy had included with his project, and was proud of how hard Cole had worked to do his absolute best. As he admired the work Connor felt someone walking up beside him and he turned his head quickly.</p>
      <p>"Hello. I'm Miss Fox, Cole's teacher." The young woman was in her mid twenties with honey blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes. Her slim build made her a little taller than average but she still had to look up slightly to lock eyes with Connor as she spoke with him. "You must be Connor."</p>
      <p>"...Yes, that's correct. How did you know?"</p>
      <p>"You look like him, it's easy to see that you're brothers."</p>
      <p>"O-Oh." Turning away from Miss Fox so she couldn't see the pale blue blush on his face Connor just glanced over Cole's project again.</p>
      <p>"It's so nice to see such a supportive family."</p>
      <p>"...Yes. Cole worked very hard and I wanted to be here to show my support."</p>
      <p>"He talks about you all the time. I know you're an android, so you don't have to shy away from me."</p>
      <p>Connor looked back at her with an inquisitive brow arched as he studied her face closely. "...Yet you claim he and I look similar."</p>
      <p>"Families aren't always connected by blood." She explained confidently. "Even adopted family members can began to resemble one another. It's love that helps bring a family closer together, not genetics."</p>
      <p>"...Of course. Thank you for saying so."</p>
      <p>"You don't have to hide your face under that hood, either. Due to the competitive nature of this project we have school security around to ensure no one tries to sabotage a student's work, or start fights with another parent."</p>
      <p>"I'm aware, but I'm wearing this for a more... personal reason."</p>
      <p>"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."</p>
      <p>"You didn't, apologies aren't necessary." Changing the subject quickly Connor watched over Miss Fox's shoulder as Cole, Hank and Barbara walked around checking the other displays and spoke to other people in the gymnasium. "May I ask when the judging will begin?"</p>
      <p>"Soon. Right now the judges and teachers are reading over the student reports and validating their work with the provided photographs and recordings."</p>
      <p>"I see."</p>
      <p>"Be patient, I know you're proud of Cole's work and want to see him him succeed."</p>
      <p>"Yes. Cole did exceptionally well for a student of his age range."</p>
      <p>Stepping a little closer to Connor the kind teacher lowered her voice to avoid any eavesdropping. "Can I ask you one question about his project?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. What do you wish to know?"</p>
      <p>"What made him choose this subject matter? Most kids build small models or use generic chemistry sets when they pick their project. Cole went above and beyond with his choice."</p>
      <p>"...To be honest I don't know what made him decide to build the miniature Thirium pump. I just know he was determined to succeed in his project."</p>
      <p>"Well, maybe Cole can tell us himself after the fair."</p>
      <p>"Maybe." Connor looked back at the small Thirium pump beating on the display, and he ran another scan over the device curiously. He truly hadn't questioned why Cole wanted to build the pump, but he was more than happy to help him out. "...I'd like to know that myself."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>It took an hour for the judges and teachers to finish the reports and go over the photographs and videos showing the students working on their projects. The science fair continued on without any drama as the judges visited each display one by one and spoke to the students as they explained their projects and how they constructed their displays. The parents and other family members in attendance had gathered in the bleachers against the wall and waited for the winners to be announced in turn, and support their child during the fair.</p>
      <p>"You still doing okay?" Hank asked in a low voice as Connor sat beside him and nervously danced his quarter over the back of his right hand to quell his mounting anxiety. Barbara was sitting beside Hank and holding tightly onto his hand as she waited to see the aftermath of Cole's hard work. "You seem anxious."</p>
      <p>"I'm fine." Keeping his eyes forward Connor watched the judges with great intrigue. "I'm merely reading the judges lips."</p>
      <p>"This crowd isn't bothering you?"</p>
      <p>"...As of the moment, no."</p>
      <p>"Good. I'm glad to hear it."</p>
      <p>"Were you able to take care of things before you came to the school?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. Everything's ready at the house."</p>
      <p>"And Sumo?"</p>
      <p>"I fed him to help distract him, not that the gentle giant would do much harm anyway."</p>
      <p>"True enough."</p>
      <p>There was a shrill sound from the loudspeakers throughout the gym and Connor flinched a little as his enhanced hearing made the sound all the more intense for him. Pocketing his coin Connor, Hank and Barbara watched as the principal went ahead and announced the pride she had in the participating students and their families, and announced the third, second and first place winners in that order. When Cole's name was announced for first place Hank and Barbara couldn't stop themselves from beaming an eternally proud smile while Connor finally grinned a little.</p>
      <p>Watching Cole get a gold medal draped around his neck was one of the highlights of Connor's young life as he could see the best of humanity when it came to encouraging children to pursue their passions, and strive to improve the world around them.</p>
      <p>"Cole, I'm so proud of you." Hank met his youngest son by his project with Barbara and Connor right beside him. "Not only did you get an 'A', but you won the whole da- <em>darn</em> thing." He managed to catch himself before he swore since he was in a school. "Great work, son!"</p>
      <p>"Thanks, dad." Cole looked over at Connor and gave him a proud grin of his own. "Thanks for all your help, Connor."</p>
      <p>Feeling the same sense of pride as Hank, Barbara and Cole were feeling in that moment Connor finally reached his hand up and pulled down the hood to show his face for the first time in over a month since he had been assaulted. Just like Hank said there were no scars or deformities on the deviant's face, and Connor looked like the same kindhearted compassionate android he had always been.</p>
      <p>"You deserved to win, Cole." Connor replied with a sincere smile on his face. "You did all of the work, I merely observed and confirmed your research. I'm proud of you as well."</p>
      <p>Cole beamed and ran his right fingertips over the gold medal resting against his chest. "...So, I get that special reward, right?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, son." Hank laughed a little as he returned his hand to Cole's hair. "Let's get your project packed up and we'll head home and get everything taken care of, okay?"</p>
      <p>"YES!"</p>
      <p>With great ease Connor turned off the pump and packed up the delicate work back into the storage tote beneath the table to carry out of the gym as Cole, Hank and Barbara spoke with Miss Fox and the principal. Seeing the small pump turned off was a little sad, and so Connor decided that when they got home they'd find a place to put up the pump and keep it on for as long as possible until the power burned out, or something on the pump gave way over time.</p>
      <p>"Cole made a small heart." The deviant noted in a proud whisper. "It should beat as long as possible."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Returning to the house after getting some celebratory ice cream, the city had opened up an ice cream shop that included a special Thirium blend for androids so everyone could enjoy it, Cole ran out of the car and toward the front door of the house excitedly. Proudly Hank and Barbara followed after Cole with the key to the front door in his hand while Connor followed carrying Cole's project in his arms, and perfectly showed a poker face as the father figure opened the door to let the family inside.</p>
      <p>"When can I go and get my reward?" Cole asked energetically as everyone entered the livingroom and tried to unwind after the eventful day. "Can we go tomorrow?!"</p>
      <p>"We could do that, or..." Hank walked down the short hallway and toward the bathroom to open up the door. As he did a small beagle mix puppy trotted out of the bathroom with its tail wagging a little as it sniffed Hank's leg, then made its way into the livingroom. "you can have him now."</p>
      <p>Cole's eyes lit up as he dropped off the couch and happily picked up the puppy to hold in his arms. The small beagle wagged his tail more and began licking the side of Cole's face. "Thanks, dad!"</p>
      <p>Connor smirked at the little puppy and placed the storage tote down on the kitchen table as he opened the backdoor to let Sumo inside. Taking hold of the massive dog's collar Connor guided Sumo into the livingroom and watched as the gentle giant sniffed noses with the puppy and began wagging his tail, too.</p>
      <p>"It seems Sumo will get along just fine with this new puppy." Connor rubbed Sumo's ears then did the same for the small puppy. "What're are you going to call him, Cole?"</p>
      <p>Looking at the small puppy in comparison to Sumo's size Cole gave Connor an amused look as he chose the puppy's name. "How about 'Judo'?"</p>
      <p>Hank and Barbara just laughed at the comment and sat down on the couch together as Cole climbed up on the furniture to bond with his new puppy. "I like it."</p>
      <p>Sitting down on the other side of Cole on the couch Connor lightly ran his left hand down Judo's back and rubbed his right hand over Sumo's ears as the large dog sat on the floor beside Cole to look at the puppy in the little boy's arms.</p>
      <p>"You'll have the whole day to play with Judo tomorrow, Cole." Hank reminded his youngest son with a proud smile. "Don't let him make a mess, alright?"</p>
      <p>"You mean I get to be in charge tomorrow?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. Connor and I both have shorter shifts tomorrow, so I think you can handle six hours in charge. Right?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah! No problem!"</p>
      <p>Connor suddenly seemed to remember that he was going back to the precinct tomorrow morning, but rather than fear or dread he felt a strange sense of anxiety and excitement. He was no longer afraid to go back and show his face, he was ready to move on and found a renewed sense of confidence with his family showing nothing but support and love toward one another.</p>
      <p>"You'll be fine, Cole." The deviant tagged on sincerely. "You're a smart kid."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Resuming his usual morning routine as if nothing happened Connor changed into his usual work uniform of his jeans, a white dress shirt, black tie and gray CyberLife suit jacket he tightened the knot on his tie, and straightened out the dressy garment over the front of his shirt. Running his right hand over his thick hair and then down the side of his face Connor stared at his reflection in the full body mirror inside of his closet, and was relieved to not see the imaginary scars or deformities he had seen a few nights before. It was like the horrible night never even happened.</p>
      <p>Stepping outside of his bedroom Connor peered inside Cole's bedroom across from his own and saw that the little boy was still asleep and had Judo all cuddled up next to his chest. Sumo had slept on the foot of Connor's bed and was sticking close to the deviant either out of loyalty and knowing that Connor was only just beginning to feel better, or Sumo was a tad jealous of all the attention Judo was getting and was trying to make Cole jealous.</p>
      <p>"You take care of Cole and Barbara today, okay, Sumo?" Connor rubbed Sumo's ears as the massive dog stood beside him in the middle of the hallway as Connor stared in through Cole's opened doorway. "We'll be back soon, but they still need someone to protect them for a few hours."</p>
      <p>Sumo seemed to understand and proceeded to walk into Cole's room to climb onto the lower bunk bed, and watch the little boy and small puppy still sleeping in the bunk above him.</p>
      <p>"Good boy."</p>
      <p>Quietly Connor walked down the staircase and decided to make breakfast for everyone as he hadn't done so in several weeks, and found that he still enjoyed the act of cooking as an art form and as a science. Deciding on French toast since it was Cole's favorite Connor expertly whipped up a batch with a personal recipe he had memorized and perfected, and then brewed a fresh pot of coffee for Hank to enjoy. Soon the entire kitchen smelled of delicious maple syrup, cinnamon and rich brown coffee.</p>
      <p>"Shit, I thought I heard you down here." Hank remarked with a sleepy yawn as he ran his left hand through his gray hair. Eyeing the breakfast that the deviant had laid out for everyone Hank just gave Connor an appreciative grin. "Glad to see you acting like yourself again, son."</p>
      <p>"I'm glad that I <em>feel</em> like myself again."</p>
      <p>"No more nightmares?"</p>
      <p>"I haven't had one in a full week."</p>
      <p>"Let's keep it that way."</p>
      <p>"I will do my best."</p>
      <p>"Good answer. And that uniform still looks good on you, too."</p>
      <p>"Thanks... dad."</p>
      <p>From the staircase in the livingroom Connor heard Cole walking down the stairs and could hear Sumo plodding after him, while Barbara used the guide rail to get her wheelchair down to the ground floor. Cole put Judo down on the floor and ran into the kitchen, and sure enough Judo raced after Cole as quickly as his little legs could carry him. As soon as the little puppy's paws hit the linoleum floor of the kitchen he slipped a little and came to a crashing stop against the side of Connor's foot with his tail still wagging.</p>
      <p>Connor looked down at Judo, ran a scan, and then bent down to rub the puppy's ears. "It seems Judo needs to learn how to run properly over a hardwood floor in comparison to carpeted floors."</p>
      <p>Cole laughed as he picked up Judo and carried the puppy over to where Sumo's bowls were sitting and pulled down Judo's smaller bowls from the shelf in the pantry where the dog and puppy chow were located. "Have something to eat, Judo. You too, Sumo."</p>
      <p>Hank and Connor didn't say anything and only observed, as Cole took care of Judo and then poured some food into Sumo's bowl, too. The little boy was showing great maturity and responsibility for a ten year old, and it made Hank all the more confident that Cole could handle being home with just his mother for six hours that day.</p>
      <p>"Come and eat your own breakfast, son." Hank called out after his youngest son took care of the dogs. "Connor made us French toast."</p>
      <p>"Alright!"</p>
      <p>Barbara made it into the kitchen and gave Hank a kiss as she eyed her two sons lovingly. "Well, now this is a treat! Thank you, Connor."</p>
      <p>"You're welcome."</p>
      <p>Connor was happy to see that everything in the household was calm, routine and seemed to be progressing without any problems. As Hank and Cole finished their breakfast the two dogs did the same for themselves and were getting to know one another by sniffing noses and by Sumo laying down so Judo could playfully climb around on the massive dog's back.</p>
      <p>"You haven't lost your touch in the kitchen, Connor." Hank complimented the deviant's cooking as he cleared off the table and filled up his mug with the fresh coffee. After taking a sip Hank used the mug to motion toward the hallway before he finished off the caffeinated drink and put the now empty mug down in the sink. "I'll go shower off and we can head out."</p>
      <p>"Alright, I'll be ready."</p>
      <p>"You already are, kid."</p>
      <p>Cole resumed playing with Judo and Sumo on the floor of the kitchen while Connor focused on the dishes in the sink. "What are you going to do with your mini Thirium pump now that the science fair is over, Cole?"</p>
      <p>"I want to set it up on my bookcase next to the medal. I have to keep it safe in case I get to participate in state or regional."</p>
      <p>"That's a good idea."</p>
      <p>"I'll wash the dishes." Cole suddenly volunteered as he stood up from the floor walked over to the sink. "You and dad need to go to work, I'll wash these."</p>
      <p>"...Thank you, Cole." Backing away from the sink Connor watched as Cole easily began cleaning off the plates, cups and silverware with a soapy sponge and warm water as if the chore wasn't anything to be annoyed with. Drying off his hands Connor couldn't help but feel just as proud of Cole as Hank felt. "I appreciate your help."</p>
      <p>Barbara proudly rolled over to the sink and gave Cole a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, sweetheart. We're just so proud of you."</p>
      <p>"Thanks, mom."</p>
      <p>Looking to Connor Barbara told him the same and flashed him a truly maternal smile. "We're proud of you, too."</p>
      <p>Smiling brightly in return Connor readily parroted Cole's response. "...Thanks, mom."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>After Cole was instructed to keep the front door, backdoor and garage door of the house locked up, and to not answer the door for anyone or answer his emergency phone unless it was Hank or Connor, the two detectives returned to the precinct together for the first time in almost six weeks knowing that Cole and Barbara would be just fine without them. In that time Hank had been working solo cases at his desk, or would go on patrol with Chris every few hours. With Connor back at the precinct the two detectives would be able to resume their usual routine of sifting through deviant cases, and help bring about equality and peace throughout the city.</p>
      <p>The deviant was greeted warmly by the bullpen as he returned to his desk and clocked in at his terminal for the first time in so long, and he was truly appreciate of the warm welcome back. In doing so Connor caught a glimpse of Captain Fowler through the transparent wall of his office and was promptly waved over to speak with his commanding officer in private.</p>
      <p>"Anything good pop up overnight?" Hank called out to Chris as he sat down behind his desk and clocked into his terminal as well.</p>
      <p>"Nothing out of the ordinary with androids, Lieutenant."</p>
      <p>"...But?" Hank could sense that Chris was holding back something interesting, and he couldn't wait for Connor to come back. "Something did happen, right?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah. We're still looking into it but it looks like someone was tampering in the evidence room last night. The weird thing is it looks like nothing was stolen."</p>
      <p>"Any suspects?"</p>
      <p>"Not yet. The cameras leading to the corridor were knocked out, and the locks to the evidence room were hacked."</p>
      <p>"Sounds like an android to me."</p>
      <p>"That's what we thought, too." The younger officer admitted as he leaned forward against his desk top while giving the gruff detective a curious glance. "The only android with enough clearance to get to the evidence room is Connor, and we all know that he wasn't anywhere near the precinct for the past six, almost seven weeks."</p>
      <p>"Weird."</p>
      <p>"The details are available in your terminal if you want to take a look. We're stumped already."</p>
      <p>"Alright, we'll take a look at it." Bringing up the proper file Hank gave it a once over and eyed the limited details curiously. "I'm sure Connor can figure that shit out if we can't."</p>
      <p>Dragging his right hand over his bearded chin Hank pressed 'Play' on the very limited security footage that cut-out its feed just a few seconds before the evidence room had been broken into, and watched the footage as the feed had been restored just seconds after the suspect left the building.</p>
      <p>"Three in the morning, right when the bullpen would be mostly empty and everyone distracted by the graveyard shift change. Smart."</p>
      <p>Connor returned to his terminal and sat down in the chair behind his desk with a stern focus in his eyes. "Captain Fowler has fully reinstated my privileges as a detective. No restrictions."</p>
      <p>"Good to hear. So you're ready to work on cases again, and not just show up to turn in reports, right?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. Why do you ask?"</p>
      <p>"I just wanted to make sure. Your deviancy hasn't exactly been an easy one, and even after a year you've been pretty worked up for the past couple months. Nothing's bothering you? No doubts or second guessing?"</p>
      <p>"I assure you I'm fine." Connor thought about the question for a moment and compared Hank's much healthier mindset in this timeline compared the other timeline in which he had initially met him. Having Cole's life continue on was nothing but a positive change, and one Connor wouldn't dare to even try to undo for any reason. "The differences between these two timelines in which I'm affiliated have been for the better."</p>
      <p>"...And even dealing with your, uh, 'alternate memories' you're okay?"</p>
      <p>Connor was quiet for a moment as his mouth twitched a little, and his soulful brown eyes look up at Hank with a sense of loss. "...I will admit that the extreme contrast between the two lifetimes to which I have become accustomed has been a difficult transition, but I have confidence that my decisions here can, and will, be as impactful and meaningful here as they were there."</p>
      <p>"Aside from the few differences we discussed was there anything else you wanted to tell me?"</p>
      <p>"...At the moment, no. The only moment of real significance revolves around us locating my successor in the depths of New Jericho Tower, and having to physically detain it, and deactivate it to due to its hostile nature. It was deemed to be complete immune to deviancy by CyberLife."</p>
      <p>"They said the same thing about you."</p>
      <p>Blushing a pale blue Connor admitted that what Hank had said was indeed true. "Yes, that is correct."</p>
      <p>"Where is your successor now?"</p>
      <p>"I spoke with Markus regarding our two parallel timelines and he has confirmed that my successor, this 'RK-900', has remained deactivated and hasn't awoken despite numerous attempts to reboot its intracranial processors in an attempt to alter the code and give it deviancy." Furrowing his brow a little Connor gave Hank a curious glance and slight shake of his head. "Why do you ask?"</p>
      <p>"Last night there was a break-in with our own evidence room, and it looks like an android did it."</p>
      <p>The reply made Connor arch his brow a little. "...That doesn't make any logical sense."</p>
      <p>"That's what the entire precinct says."</p>
      <p>"Curious."</p>
      <p>"What about other androids from your alternate timeline? Anybody bust into the precinct in that universe?"</p>
      <p>"None."</p>
      <p>"Alright," pointing at Connor's terminal screen Hank waited for the deviant to take notice of the case of interest. "feast your eyes on your screen."</p>
      <p>Connor's brow arched a little more as he looked over the case file that Hank had sent over to his terminal screen to view. Taking only a few seconds to scan the entirety of the case file, memorize the collected photographs and limited recorded footage from the security camera, Connor too was perplexed by the break-in and give his rather astute though vague observation. "...How unusual."</p>
      <p>"Yup."</p>
      <p>"No evidence had been taken or even tampered with, and yet the door to the evidence room had been physically tampered with and then forced open from what appears to be a blunt instrument. No fingerprints, no shoe prints, no trace of a person beyond that of the officers given clearance to enter the room had been located inside the room itself. Very peculiar."</p>
      <p>"Wanna' check out the evidence room for more traces now that you're back and your scanner is available, again?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, of course. That would be the best course of action."</p>
      <p>"Cool." Turning off his terminal screen Hank stood up from his desk and froze as soon as Captain Fowler opened up his office door. It was as if Hank could feel his commanding officer's eyes watching him. "What's going on, Jeffrey?"</p>
      <p>"I need a minute to talk with you." Captain Fowler confirmed in a calm voice as he addressed his Lieutenant. "My office."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I'm coming."</p>
      <p>Connor just nodded as Hank walked toward the office as he turned off his terminal to begin his investigation. As soon as his hand retracted from his terminal screen the deviant heard a strangely small sound as he recognized a presence walking over in his direction. Turning his head Connor spotted Tina walking to her neighboring desk with her one week old daughter swaddled in a purple blanket cradled in her arms, and a diaper bag slung over her left shoulder.</p>
      <p>"Officer Chen." Connor nodded at the small baby in her arms and managed to give her a sincere smile. "Congratulations are in order."</p>
      <p>"Thanks. I appreciate the flowers." She beamed as she walked over to the deviant so Connor could see her daughter up close. "And she appreciates all the extra diapers."</p>
      <p>"That was Hank's idea."</p>
      <p>"It was a good one." Gently she brushed back a small swatch of the purple blanket so Connor could see the newborn's face more clearly. "This is Arianna."</p>
      <p>"She's beautiful."</p>
      <p>"And fussy. I need to finish off some paperwork regarding my maternity leave and some of my department beneficiary agreements so she's included."</p>
      <p>"You couldn't find a babysitter?"</p>
      <p>"Actually I was driving back to my apartment after her wellness check-up and decided to multitask." As the the small newborn let out another noise and squirmed about gently Tina readjusted her arms to keep her daughter more comfortable. "I might need to come back later when she's less fussy or I can get someone to watch her."</p>
      <p>"Wasn't Gavin helping you?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, and I finally kicked him out of my apartment this morning because he insisted on staying over and helping me out with checking on her and trying to get her on a sleep schedule. He'll be here in the evening."</p>
      <p>"Interesting to hear."</p>
      <p>"...I hate to ask, but could you hold her for a minute while I finish some work?"</p>
      <p>"Why would you hate to ask?"</p>
      <p>"A lot of people are kind of shy when it comes to holding newborn babies, and I know androids don't exactly get to spend a ton of time around babies to become more comfortable in the same way humans can."</p>
      <p>"It's not a problem, Tina. I'd be happy to hold Arianna for a moment." Connor scanned the small baby and his head tilted a little to the side. "...But how do I do so without her becoming uncomfortable?"</p>
      <p>"Sit down in your chair and I'll pass her over to you." Tina watched as the deviant detective did as he was instructed and lifted his arms to accept Arianna as Tina gently passed the newborn over to his protective grip. Arianna let out another small noise as she snuggled in against Connor's warm chest and let out a impressively big yawn for someone so small. "...Just like that. You're a natural!"</p>
      <p>Connor looked down at Arianna in his arms and gave the newborn a gentle grin. "I'm glad she isn't afraid of me."</p>
      <p>"Why would she be afraid of you? You're one of the most gentle people I've ever met."</p>
      <p>"...Thank you for saying that."</p>
      <p>"I'll be back in a minute." Placing the diaper bag down on the floor beside Connor's foot Tina left the deviant to play babysitter for a few minutes. "Thanks again, Connor." Quickly Tina took her leave of the bullpen to get to the elevator that would take her up to the appropriate floor to get her paperwork updated. "Bye baby! I'll be back soon!"</p>
      <p>Sitting quietly in his seat Connor watched with fascination as Arianna rested comfortably in Connor's arms and stared up at his face with curious big blue eyes.</p>
      <p>"Hello, Arianna. It's nice to meet you."</p>
      <p>"Hey, now... Who's your friend?" Hank asked in a low voice as he walked up behind Connor and peered down over his shoulder. "Wait a minute, this is Tina's daughter."</p>
      <p>"Yes. Arianna."</p>
      <p>"I knew she was beautiful." Walking around to the front of Connor's chair Hank looked down at the newborn and grinned. "Man, I remember when Cole used to be this small and fascinated by the world around him."</p>
      <p>"It's very interesting to see how young, small and fragile humans are when they're first born."</p>
      <p>"It's humbling, that's for damn sure. Hold on a second." Carefully Hank readjusted Connor's arms a little so Arianna's head was resting more against his left bicep so she could see the bullpen a little more easily from where she was otherwise laying. "There, that's going be a little more comfortable. So where's Tina?"</p>
      <p>"Taking care of paperwork upstairs." As if obeying an unspoken instinct Connor lightly pressed his right hand over Arianna's tummy and let her grab onto his index finger to hold tight. "I am watching Arianna until she's finished and can return to her apartment."</p>
      <p>"Then we can wait to go check out the evidence room for ourselves in a few minutes." Pulling his own chair around the side of the two desks Hank sat down and admired Arianna as she peacefully laid in Connor's arms and slowly moved her own arms about in an uncoordinated manner. "So, what do you think of babysitting compared to detective work?"</p>
      <p>"I can confirm for certain that it's more pleasant to deal with life than death." The deviant found himself comparing the two timelines again and decided that since his actions had resulted in Barbara surviving the shooting, Cole avoiding the car accident, and now Tina having a daughter; granted the death of Tina's boyfriend being its own tragedy, that his choices were undoubtedly and unarguably correct. "And I find that having the chance to protect innocent life to be far more fulfilling than piecing together the final moments of a person's stolen life."</p>
      <p>"Except that I know you love a good mystery, son. You'd get bored playing babysitter all day long."</p>
      <p>"That's true I suppose. But having the chance to care for a child, just as I do with Cole, has also been rather intriguing and very rewarding."</p>
      <p>
        <em>
          <strong>-next chapter-</strong>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Darkness of the Past</h2></a>
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      <p>The seemingly ironic investigation of the evidence room for any evidence of the person or android who had broken into the formerly secured room for reasons that were still unknown was well underway. As the two detectives worked together to examine every inch of the compromised room they found the same startling lack of evidence that the other investigating officers had found earlier that same morning. It was as if the culprit behind the break-in was a ghost, and they needed to find out who was now haunting the precinct.</p>
      <p>"Find anything?" Hank was watching Connor run a scan over the wall of the secured cases in the rear of the evidence room that kept individual pieces of evidence protected, and separated from other case files in question. The wall itself had been seemingly forced open, but no evidence from any cases had seemingly gone missing or had been tampered with. "You've been staring at that same wall for almost an hour, now."</p>
      <p>"...Fifty-seven minutes and four seconds to be exact."</p>
      <p>"Uh-huh. So, did you find anything?"</p>
      <p>"...Negative."</p>
      <p>"Shit."</p>
      <p>"None of the evidence that had been recently collected had been affected by the intruder." Connor remarked as he stepped away from the wall and scanned the access panel in the middle of the room. Only officers with a keycard, official registration and clearance, and a personal password could access the panel to examine evidence. "There are no fingerprints, hand prints or fibers on the panel. The last log-in was..." Checking the history with his own personal clearance level Connor confirmed the name. "It was Captain Fowler himself."</p>
      <p>"And Jeffrey's about as clueless with technology as I am, so there's no way he could've hacked the doors, wall or cameras without messin' something up."</p>
      <p>"Perhaps we can check the street surveillance cameras on either side of the block to look for a suspicious person either entering or exiting the precinct."</p>
      <p>"Good call. Let's head up and I'll get the warrant to check the footage."</p>
      <p>"I'll proceed with scanning the floors and hallway leading into and out of the evidence room as we walk." Staring down at the floor as he followed after Hank the dedicated deviant was determined to locate the suspect, and give them a name. Despite his traumatic experience his professionalism never wavered, and he was determined to solve the case. "Something may have been initially overlooked."</p>
      <p>"It can't hurt to look again."</p>
      <p>Nodding subtly Connor began scanning the floor and noting the numerous distinct shoe prints and patterns of walking, and also noted the shoe prints as they entered and subsequently exited the room as expected. While making a record of the shoes prints and counting the steps Connor heard Hank not-so-discreetly clear his voice to get his attention without anyone else really noticing.</p>
      <p>"Head's up. The 'feds' are here to look into the break-in."</p>
      <p>"...The F.B.I. is here?" Connor glanced up and recognized the unwelcome face of Agent Richard Perkins standing in the middle of the bullpen and talking with Captain Fowler. The overzealous agent had led the raid against Jericho and killed four-hundred and eighty-six deviants in the sinking freighter ship alone. Another one-thousand, eight-hundred and twelve were destroyed in the 'recycling plants' he had set up in the middle of Hart Plaza the night he tried to prevent the Revolution from succeeding. "...How in the world was he given clearance to resume interacting with the police department in Detroit after the genocide he committed on the night of the Revolution?"</p>
      <p>"I don't know, kid. Just keep out of sight and I'll make sure Fowler keeps that rat bastard away from us, and remind him that the disgusting weasel is a murderer."</p>
      <p>Immediately feeling uncomfortable knowing that Perkins was in the building Connor stayed back by the evidence room to avoid dealing with the irredeemable F.B.I. agent directly. To Connor, and all of the other deviants throughout the entire world, Perkins was a genocidal maniac and would forever be their most dreaded enemy.</p>
      <p>Watching from a distance Connor saw Hank telling Perkins to back off while simultaneously asking for Captain Fowler to approve of the warrant for the security cameras on the street corners. Captain Fowler quickly defused the tense situation by pulling Hank into his office and telling Perkins to wait for him in the bullpen to finish whatever it was they were discussing.</p>
      <p>"Captain Fowler needs to arrest Perkins for his crimes against androids." Connor muttered to himself in a bitter tone. "Not dismiss him because he was simply following his orders..."</p>
      <p>Keeping quiet Connor watched as Perkins looked down his nose at other officers and detectives in the bullpen, and eyed over the personal items on each person's desk. Scoffing a little at the photographs of loved ones on various desks, and the other little items that bring personal charm to their limited private space the arrogant agent seemed to be genuinely disappointed that the precinct thought of themselves as spouses, parents and friends before a badge with a gun.</p>
      <p>As if waiting for an excuse to be an asshole Perkins singled out an approaching detective and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "You look out of uniform, officer."</p>
      <p>"Fuck off." Gavin snarled in response to the comment as he hustled over to his desk and clocked in for his early evening shift. "You deal with a newborn with sleep problems for a full week, and see how pretty you look."</p>
      <p>"No excuse for being out of uniform, or relying on drugs."</p>
      <p>"<em>Drugs</em>?" Gavin was as confused as he was offended by the accusation, and didn't know Connor had taken a few steps toward the bullpen as if to confront Perkins himself. "What the fuck are you talking about, you paranoid asshole?"</p>
      <p>Pointing so some white powder on Gavin's shoulder Perkins gave him a fiery glare. "That. Sniff some cocaine to get a boost in energy?"</p>
      <p>"Cocaine?!" Looking at his shoulder Gavin quickly brushed the white substance aside and made sure it wafted in Perkins's face. "It's baby powder you crazy fuck! I changed a diaper before I came into work."</p>
      <p>"There's no excuse for looking like this." Perkins scoffed again as he caught the scent of the powder and confirmed it wasn't actually a drug. "I have a kid, and I never changed a single damn diaper."</p>
      <p>Connor had heard enough and approached Perkins with the intent of putting the arrogant human in his place. "Strange." He started off with a faux confusion to his voice as he stood beside Gavin and glared angrily at Perkins without showing the slightest hint of backing down. "In my experience a half decent person would be ashamed to admit that they were that useless as a parent, spouse or friend, not proud. I guess that proves you're entirely worthless, Perkins."</p>
      <p>Upon being insulted Perkins gave Connor a glare that could've burned a hole in the wall, but the deviant wasn't the least bit intimidated. "You watch yourself, you piece of plastic."</p>
      <p>"It's better to be a piece of plastic than a piece of shit."</p>
      <p>"Keep running your mouth, asshole. Choose your next words carefully or you'll end up silenced by my hand."</p>
      <p>"Is that a threat?" Connor asked as he intentionally raised his voice to gain the attention of the other officers in the bullpen, and to have witnesses. "If you're going to threaten me you should at least do so in a place where there aren't seventeen witnesses who will back up my claim and ensure that you, who have a known track record of prejudice against androids, will finally be terminated as you so rightfully deserve."</p>
      <p>Noticing the other officers watching him with disgust in their eyes Perkins backed up and backed down from Connor. "Learn to keep your mouth shut. It'll save you from a bullet in the back."</p>
      <p>"Say that a little louder. I'm sure everyone could benefit from your advice of keeping quiet or getting shot."</p>
      <p>Marching away from Connor in annoyed huff Perkins quickly took his leave of the bullpen and went straight for Captain Fowler's office, not caring that Hank was still trying to speak to him in private.</p>
      <p>"Holy shit..." Gavin was trying to not laugh at the fact that Connor had been the one to come to his aid and defend him. "That was awesome, 'Tinman'."</p>
      <p>"He had no right to make such a bold and unfounded accusation against your person, let alone try to shame you for being a good friend."</p>
      <p>"Yeah? And knowing he never once took the time to actually take care of his own kid says a lot about his shitty attitude."</p>
      <p>"None of it worth mentioning." Watching as Hank got up from his chair and dragged his right hand over his mouth to hide his amused laughing as Connor returned to his own desk to resume his investigation. "You assisting Tina and her baby is an admirable trait, Gavin. It's not to be mocked or laughed at."</p>
      <p>"Hey, 'Tinman'," Gavin discreetly lowered his voice as he walked past Connor's desk and went into the breakroom to get some coffee to help him wake up. Even though Arianna was Tina's baby Gavin was more than happy to be the surrogate father that the little baby would need for as long as she might need him in her life. "thanks."</p>
      <p>"...You're welcome. It was my pleasure to tell Perkins off."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>It took Captain Fowler only an hour to get the warrant for the security footage approved, and in that hour Connor and Hank failed to find another clue as to who had broken into the evidence room, or as to why. While Hank drove back home with their shift now over Connor danced his coin over his right knuckles to help focus his anxiety as he contemplated what little evidence that had to work with over and over again in his mind. The case was as perplexing as it was intriguing.</p>
      <p>"Easy, kid. You can think about the case," Hank cautioned as he watched Connor from the corner of his eye. Knowing that stern look in Connor's soulful brown eyes gave away everything the young deviant was thinking about. "but don't start obsessing. You'll figure it out soon enough."</p>
      <p>"...I'm not obsessing. I'm comparing one theory to another." Stopping the dance of the coin Connor pocketed the quarter and looked up at the house as the car pulled into the driveway beside it. "I currently have two theories and I'm trying to narrow them down to only one."</p>
      <p>"That's more progress than I made. Want to talk about them?"</p>
      <p>"We can discuss it tonight after Cole has gone to sleep. I know you dislike discussing casework in front of him."</p>
      <p>"Yeah," turning off the engine Hank opened his door and watched as Connor did the same thing from his own side of the car. "the last thing I want is Cole knowing about is how fucked up and deranged the city can get."</p>
      <p>Walking toward the front door Connor heard Sumo's excited barking as he recognized the sound of the car's engine and knew his masters were home. While Hank turned the key in the lock Connor heard Judo yip once excitedly and then Cole's voice trying to shush the puppy and teach him not to bark. Taking notice of odd shoe prints heading up the front walk to the front door Connor didn't recognize them as the mail man's usual attire, but decided it was entirely possible that he had purchased new shoes. However there was something about the shoe prints that gave him a bad feeling.</p>
      <p>"You okay, Connor?" Hank asked as he pulled the key out of the lock and pocketed it again. "You look a little off."</p>
      <p>"I believe I am beginning to suffer some stress from this case. I cannot stop scanning for shoe prints."</p>
      <p>"Well, you're off the clock. So stop it."</p>
      <p>"...I'll attempt to do so."</p>
      <p>"Hey, Cole." Hank greeted his youngest son as soon as he opened the door. Cole was sitting on the couch with both Sumo and Judo cuddled up with him on either side of his legs. "Anything happen while we were out?"</p>
      <p>"Nope."</p>
      <p>"Any visitors?"</p>
      <p>"Mail guy."</p>
      <p>"You kept the door locked, so that's good." Hank observed casually as he looked about the livingroom for any sign of messes. "Did you go outside at all?"</p>
      <p>"I stayed inside except when I let the dogs out."</p>
      <p>"And how did Judo do with that?"</p>
      <p>"I think he understands what he's supposed to do while outside."</p>
      <p>"Good. The less accidents you have to clean up, the better."</p>
      <p>"Me?"</p>
      <p>"Judo's <em>your</em> pup, and you said you could handle taking care of a puppy all on your own. Right?"</p>
      <p>"...Right."</p>
      <p>Connor just smirked as he walked into the livingroom to give Sumo some ear rubs and then did the same for Judo as the little puppy affectionately licked at the side of Connor's right hand. "Did you have any homework you needed to finish before the weekend was over?"</p>
      <p>"No. The science fair meant no homework."</p>
      <p>"That's beneficial. You've earned a weekend without any homework."</p>
      <p>"He's right." Hank rubbed his left hand over the back of his tense neck as he looked into the kitchen and saw that the dishes from breakfast were still in the drying rack, and that there were no new dishes in the sink. "What did you do for lunch?"</p>
      <p>"I had some mac &amp; cheese and a sandwich."</p>
      <p>"Cool. Well, what do you want for dinner?"</p>
      <p>"Pizza?"</p>
      <p>"Pizza it is." Fishing his phone out of his pocket Hank called in their usual place and put in an order. As he walked into the kitchen to speak without any distractions Hank double checked the backdoor and was relieved to find it still locked. "Yeah, it's Anderson. I'd like to place an order..."</p>
      <p>Connor glanced about the livingroom and noticed something was slightly amiss. "Cole, you said the mailman had been by earlier. Didn't he leave any mail or a package?"</p>
      <p>"No. He walked up to the door but didn't leave anything."</p>
      <p>"Curious. And you're sure it was the mailman?"</p>
      <p>"Who else would it have been?"</p>
      <p>"...Unknown. I just find it unusual that the mailman would approach the door but not deliver anything."</p>
      <p>"He probably made a mistake."</p>
      <p>"True. A force of habit could've caused him to approach the door as a part of his usual routine without realizing he had no need to come to the door until it was too late."</p>
      <p>"Are you studying the mailman's habits?"</p>
      <p>"No. I'm merely observing the city as a whole. It's part of my job."</p>
      <p>"I thought your job was to catch bad guys and solve mysteries."</p>
      <p>"That too." Joining Cole on the couch Connor had Sumo quickly cuddling down on his lap as he sought more attention. "Now that your science fair is over do you have anymore projects you need to focus on?"</p>
      <p>"No. Now we just study for the end of the year exams before summer vacation next month."</p>
      <p>"I'm sure you'll keep getting 'A's on all of your subjects as long as you keep studying."</p>
      <p>"You'll help, right?"</p>
      <p>"Of course. I enjoy helping you just as help enjoying mom."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I know. Mom likes it when you help her with all her plants and stuff."</p>
      <p>"Is she down in the basement as of right now?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. She wants to keep tomatoes growing all year round."</p>
      <p>"Interesting. I'm going to go see if I can help her."</p>
      <p>As Connor made his way toward the basement door Hank called out to him before he got too far away. "Let Barb know that pizza's on its way. Thirty minutes."</p>
      <p>"I will." Easily descending the staircase Connor met Barbara in the basement and approached his mother figure from behind. "Hello."</p>
      <p>"Hey, Connor. What do you think?" Moving back from the tomato plant she was trimming she showed Connor where two small green tomatoes were just beginning to grow on the healthy plant. "They're small, but they're healthy."</p>
      <p>"I think it's truly interesting that you've managed to cultivate tomatoes out of season."</p>
      <p>"Green thumb. I haven't lost a plant yet."</p>
      <p>"Dinner will be ready in approximately thirty minutes." Extending his right hand out toward Barbara to take Connor offered her support to stand up from her wheelchair for a moment. "Care for a lesson?"</p>
      <p>"Always." Accepting the deviant's hand Barbara stood up and let him support her weight as she found her balance. As she stood up as straight as possible and let Connor put his hands on her hip and shoulder Barbara could tell something was bothering Connor. "What's on your mind?"</p>
      <p>"...It's strange and I might just be overthinking things again."</p>
      <p>"I doubt it, you're too sharp to get confused by anything."</p>
      <p>Cybernetically Connor turned on the radio and selected an appropriate song to dance along with. "...Today did you notice anyone or anything unusual about the house?"</p>
      <p>"No, I spent most of my time in the kitchen or down here. What's going on?"</p>
      <p>"I'm certain that it's just the mailman delivering the mail but I've noticed footsteps near the front windows as if someone was peering inside the window."</p>
      <p>"Seriously?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. Sumo and now Judo both bark when the car pulls in the driveway, but I don't know if they'd bark at someone approaching the front door or not."</p>
      <p>"Neither do I." Letting Connor lead on their little dance Barbara tried to think back to the past few days and see if anything unusual did pop up in her mind. For the most part everything seemed normal. "The only person I've seen around the house is the mailman and the neighbors walking their dogs. No one suspicious stands out."</p>
      <p>"And you haven't heard anything unusual at night?"</p>
      <p>"No, it's been quiet as usual."</p>
      <p>"Interesting. Perhaps I should install a motion activated camera near the windows and doors."</p>
      <p>"I don't think that's necessary, hon'." Moving slowly as Connor guided her in their slow dance Barbara reminded him that despite her current condition she could still take care of herself. "There are THREE cops in this house, and two very loyal dogs. I think we can handle."</p>
      <p>"Y-Yes, you're right." Blushing a pale blue Connor admitted that he had forgotten that Barbara was beyond capable of fighting back. "My apologies."</p>
      <p>"Don't apologize for looking out for the family, sweetheart. And I get it," nodding at her empty wheelchair Barbara sighed to herself and patted her lower back where the special chip had been implanted in her spine. "I look like I'm a paper doll sitting on a tiny flotation ring in the middle of the ocean."</p>
      <p>"It's not that, it's just..." Despite knowing that Hank had told Barbara the wild truth about the alternate timelines Connor was still worried about telling her of the reality where she had been killed and not just paralyzed. "...I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Cole or Hank."</p>
      <p>"Connor, I'm going to be just fine. With you in our lives I know we're in good hands."</p>
      <p>"I'm glad you think so."</p>
      <p>From the top of the staircase Hank's voice called down to Barbara and Connor as he requested they come upstairs. "Hey! I just found a classic movie on TV tonight, and we haven't had movie night in months."</p>
      <p>Smirking as Connor turned off the radio Barbara responded to her husband in a positive manner. "Alright, we're coming upstairs."</p>
      <p>"Let me." Helping Barbara to walk over to her wheelchair again Connor felt his worries for his family only grow more intense rather than relax.</p>
      <p>"Come on, sweetheart." Pulling on Connor's hand Barbara wheeled over to the staircase and locked her chair into the guide rail to return to the ground floor above. "Let's go upstairs and relax. Okay?"</p>
      <p>"Yes... Okay."</p>
      <p>Upstairs Hank had already showered off and changed into his more comfortable casual clothes, and watched as Cole sat on the floor with both Sumo and Judo. Seeing his son happy was a joy in itself to behold, but knowing that Cole had been playing with the two dogs all day made Hank a little wary of him getting sick again after recovering from his bout of bronchitis a few weeks back.</p>
      <p>"Why don't you go take a quick bath?" Hank suggested as he watched his son playing on the livingroom floor. "By the time you're out of the tub the pizza will be here."</p>
      <p>Cole looked over at his mom as Barbara and Connor entered the livingroom as if expecting some back-up. "Do I have to?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, sweetheart. Take Judo with you." Barbara suggested as Cole rose from the floor and began walking around the couch to get the bathroom down the hallway. "If you can get Judo comfortable around water it'll be easier to give him baths in the future."</p>
      <p>"Come on, Judo." Cole called out to the puppy, but Judo stayed on the floor where he was laying with Sumo. "Judo!" Returning to the front of the couch Cole gently scooped the puppy up from the floor and carried him into the bathroom. "You gotta' learn to come when I call you."</p>
      <p>Hank just smirked and gave Connor an amused stare as Cole stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind himself. "Remind you of anyone?"</p>
      <p>"Are you referring to Cole's behavior, or to Judo?"</p>
      <p>"Smartass." Sitting down on the couch beside Connor with a heavy sigh Hank ran his right hand through his damp hair and watched as the deviant walked over to the front windows of the house and peered outside again at the soft ground just under the window. "So, what about those theories on the case?"</p>
      <p>"It can wait until after Cole's in bed."</p>
      <p>"Good answer."</p>
      <p>"...It is?"</p>
      <p>"Yup." Wrapping his hand around Barbara's hand as she joined him on the couch Hank gave his son an approving answer. "It means you're not obsessing just as I asked you not to do. You're focusing on something else other than work."</p>
      <p>"Family is more important than a case."</p>
      <p>Hearing Connor answering so quickly and honestly made Hank feel fully at ease when it came to his two sons bonding even closer. "That's the best answer yet."</p>
      <p>"Agreed." Connor sat down in the recliner as he stayed with his adoptive parents and gave Sumo some attention. "I will do that more often from now on."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The whole family sat down in the livingroom to watch a movie and eat pizza together, all the while Connor was still working on the various bits and pieces of his two theories from work. As his coin danced over his right knuckles Connor tuned out the movie, one he and Hank had watched together a dozen times before late at night, and thought only about the odd case at hand. Hank had been watching Connor from the corner of his eye again but didn't say anything as Cole sat between himself and Barbara, and slowly began falling asleep on the couch with Judo already asleep over his lap.</p>
      <p>The peaceful night did wonders for Connor's stress, and yet he couldn't stop contemplating his theories regarding the odd case that had left the entire precinct stumped. Hank on the other hand no problem forgetting about work for the night.</p>
      <p>As midnight rolled around Hank rubbed his right hand over Cole's hair to gently get his youngest son's attention without making him jump. "Alright, Cole. Midnight. Time to go to bed."</p>
      <p>"...I'm not tired." If he hadn't yawned as he spoke it would've been somewhat plausible to hear. "...I was just getting comfortable."</p>
      <p>"We can finish the movie tomorrow, son."</p>
      <p>"Don't you have to work?"</p>
      <p>"Nope. Me and Connor have tomorrow off and then Monday you're back in school, and we're back at work at our usual time."</p>
      <p>"Can we play some basketball before it gets too hot to play outside?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, sure. One more game before we have to hide out inside all summer long." Moving his hand to Cole's right shoulder Hank shook once and gave him a stern glance. "Until then, go to bed."</p>
      <p>"Okay." Once more Cole scooped up Judo under his right arm as he climbed off the couch and made his way around the furniture to get to the staircase. "Goodnight, mom, dad. Goodnight, Connor."</p>
      <p>"Goodnight, son."</p>
      <p>Connor quickly spoke up as he registered Cole's voice and responded appropriately. "Goodnight, Cole."</p>
      <p>Hank and Barbara waited for Cole to reach the top of the staircase with Judo under his arm and Sumo trotting right after him before he turned his attention back to Connor on the couch beside him. "Alright, what are those two theories you were working on all evening?"</p>
      <p>"...I believe I've narrowed it down to just the one theory."</p>
      <p>"Let me hear both theories anyway, son. What're you thinking?"</p>
      <p>"...Initially I believed the reason why Perkins was at the precinct is because he and the F.B.I. were involved with the break-in of the evidence room, not merely there to assist in the investigation as we were led to believe."</p>
      <p>"Oh? Then why are they there really?"</p>
      <p>"I previously believed that they are responsible for the break-in, but weren't actively involved."</p>
      <p>"You lost me, kid." Looking to Barbara she shrugged her shoulders a little where she sat. "Neither of us quite know what you're referring to."</p>
      <p>"At first I suspected Perkins was there to try to clean up a mess that was left behind after the Revolution under the guise of an investigation."</p>
      <p>"What kind of mess? Aside from his busted nose..." Smirking at the memory of him fighting with Perkins always made him smile, even though Barbara kept trying to remind him that what he did was professionally wrong. "Man, I wish I punched him again today. That would've been worth the suspension."</p>
      <p>Lightly scolding her husband Barbara gave him a playful slap to the arm."Hey... Watch it mister. Connor," returning to Connor's attention Barbara insisted he kept going. "what about him?"</p>
      <p>"Perkins was assigned to locate Jericho when it appeared we had failed and had run out of time, and yet he failed to do so himself. There was evidence that he could've used to his advantage but he didn't know how to put the pieces of the puzzle together properly."</p>
      <p>"Right, I gotcha' so far."</p>
      <p>"If there was something damning in the evidence room against Perkins or the F.B.I. he'd want to dispose of it."</p>
      <p>"Alright. That makes sense to me."</p>
      <p>"However, I've dismissed this theory in favor of my second theory."</p>
      <p>"Seriously? Why's that?"</p>
      <p>"Based on the evidence from the night of the Revolution that had been chronicled there was nothing that could've harmed Perkins or the reputation of the F.B.I. in any way. They have no motivation to destroy evidence after one year and four six months after the Revolution has already succeeded, as they were previously instructed to collect the evidence from the precinct two days after the Revolution was accepted as a world changing event."</p>
      <p>"...What's your next theory on this case about?"</p>
      <p>"Hank, Barbara, " Connor was entirely serious and the look in his soulful brown eyes told the whole story. "the F.B.I. was ordered to dispose of the evidence after the Revolution. What if they didn't remove all of it?"</p>
      <p>"What're you getting at?"</p>
      <p>"Two crucial pieces of evidence in that case were both heavily damaged deviants; both of whom have massive vendettas against humans and the city as a whole. What if the F.B.I. never properly disposed of the deviants after the Revolution? What if they were left behind and one had rebooted from within the evidence room?"</p>
      <p>"...Wait, Perkins smuggled out two deviant androids to cover his lazy ass?"</p>
      <p>"No." Pocketing his coin Connor's tone dropped and his eyes dimmed with a righteous worry. "What if the break-in wasn't actually a break-in?"</p>
      <p>"You're saying we're looking at this the wrong way." Following Connor's logic Hank felt his blood run cold as he tightened his hand around Barbara's hand in fear. "It wasn't a break-in after all..."</p>
      <p>"Correct. I believe that no one attempted to break<em> into</em> the evidence room," leaning forward a little to rest his arms atop his legs Connor spoke in a despondent worried voice as he expressed his concerns. "but someone did succeed in breaking <em>out</em>."</p>
      <p>
        <em>
          <strong>-next chapter-</strong>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Twilight of the Present</h2></a>
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    <p>The theory of someone breaking out of the evidence room was farfetched and a difficult sell for Captain Fowler, but considering Connor's impressive track record when it comes to difficult cases and understanding the deviant mindset had proven invaluable over the past year the commanding officer had little choice but to accept Connor's theory as the current working theory until something else came along. Information regarding the two deviants who had been placed in the evidence room after their apparent destruction; the deviant known as 'Daniel' and the unnamed 'WP-400' who assaulted Connor at the Stratford Broadcast Tower, had limited information to be used in tracking down whichever of the two had awoken, and then taken the second deviant's body with them.</p><p></p><div class="xcontrast">
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      <p>"So the deviants we're looking for are the deviants you've met in the past." Hank sighed as he ran his right hand through his hair anxiously as he and Connor returned to the precinct after their day off. In that time off the two detectives took extra steps to ensure that neither of the possibly dangerous deviants were lurking around the precinct or New Jericho Tower seeking revenge against Connor. "What can you tell me about them that I don't already know?"</p>
      <p>"Aside from the deviant from the broadcast tower nearly succeeding in killing me," Connor's voice was low and his right hand absentmindedly pressed to his lower chest where his Thirium pump regulator had been torn from his body without mercy. The damage had long since healed but the altered memory of shutting down in Hank's arms only to have the gruff Lieutenant replace the biocomponent and revive him was one that was bittersweet and vivid. "we know for certain that he is dangerous, and won't hesitate to hurt another person. I suspect that if he was so bold as to try to kill me while in the presence of numerous police officers and federal agents combing the tower then he'd be fearless in a second attempt at my life, or any attempt to harm another person for any reason."</p>
      <p>"Connor, the deviant who attacked you at the tower had escaped onto the street. We never found him."</p>
      <p>"...I have my memories mixed up." The young deviant's soulful brown eyes went wide and dulled a little. "Damn it. The 'WP-400' is not a suspect."</p>
      <p>"It's okay, just take a moment to sort things out. What about 'Daniel'?"</p>
      <p>"...I know he struggled with his emotions the moment he deviated, hence the hostage situation. His behavior will be far more unpredictable."</p>
      <p>"Shit. Well, we know what he looks like and we have his serial number on record. If he shows up anywhere we'll know it."</p>
      <p>"Unless he's laying low. Of course we're assuming he'd stay in the city or seek repairs in general."</p>
      <p>"What do you think we should do?"</p>
      <p>"Patrol." Giving Hank a firm stare around his terminal screen Connor was determined to find the missing deviant before anything happens. "If we continue to actively seek out Daniel and make a presence of authority known then we night be able to intimidate him enough to dissuade any possible attempts at revenge or violence."</p>
      <p>"Alright, I'll tell Fowler we're on patrol now and to put out an A.P.B. on Daniel."</p>
      <p>"I'll ask Markus if he's seen Daniel, or gotten word of a deviant matching Daniel's model seeking refuge or repairs." Crossing his arms over his chest Connor closed his soulful brown eyes and set up the cybernetic link with Markus who was unfailingly at New Jericho Tower as both the leader of the deviants, and as a figurehead of peace. "I doubt Daniel would go to New Jericho as he would have no knowledge of such a sanctuary, but it'd be unwise to not check."</p>
      <p>"Right, you do your thing." Hank rose from his desk and walked toward Captain Fowler's office at a rather quick speed. "And I'll do mine."</p>
      <p>Setting up the cybernetic link Connor connected with Markus and sought his answers. '<em>Markus, do you have any word on the deviant known as "Daniel", or any of the other possible deviants who were wrongfully kept in the evidence storage rooms of any precinct within the city</em>?'</p>
      <p>There was a pause before Markus replied in a firm and confident tone. '<em>Nothing yet, Connor</em>. <em>We'll keep looking</em>.'</p>
      <p>'<em>Be careful</em>. <em>We don't know how many of the deviants inside the evidence room were overlooked by the F.B.I., and Daniel could have a frightening number of allies if he had indeed escaped the evidence room and recruited other deviants into his company</em>.'</p>
      <p>'<em>We have contacts in every facility in the city. If he turns up anywhere seeking repairs or allies we'll know it</em>.'</p>
      <p>'<em>Markus, Daniel is dangerous</em>. <em>He was willing to kill an innocent little girl out of a misplaced and confused rage</em>. <em>He cannot be trusted, but I don't want to give up on him either</em>.'</p>
      <p>'<em>I understand, Connor</em>. <em>I promise we'll do whatever it takes to help you find him</em>.'</p>
      <p>'<em>Thank you, Markus</em>. <em>I'll be in touch</em>.' Opening his eyes Connor was met by Hank who was holding his car keys in his right hand and dangling them in front of Connor's face for the deviant to see. "We're cleared for patrol?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. Let's get going."</p>
      <p>Connor stood up from his desk and lowered his voice as he trailed after Hank toward the front doors of the precinct. "What about the F.B.I. and their own investigation?"</p>
      <p>"After what you and Gavin put up with the other day, and Perkins's own shitty attitude being on display for everyone to see, the feds were actually ordered to back off. The threat of being reported for bigoted behavior against deviants wouldn't look great for any branch of the government right about now; especially since the genocide Perkins committed still has gone unpunished."</p>
      <p>"That's beneficial to us, and to the other deviants in the city."</p>
      <p>"Yup. Things will get better one day at a time as long as we're patient."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>True to his word Markus and the rest of New Jericho Tower waited for any sign of Daniel, or other deviants who had been mysterious found after being reported missing prior to the Revolution, and did so with every intention of telling Connor immediately. The usual refugees who wandered into the tower had been those who had been hiding for months, or even years, and now willing to seek aid. None of the refugees were of Daniel's model, and none had seen a deviant matching Daniel's description or serial number.</p>
      <p>Observing the newest batch of refugees being treated by Simon and Josh in the tower's emergency repair bay Markus introduced himself to each refugee and asked to hear their stories. Each one had a horror story to tell; abuse, negligence, threats, daily beatings... As many horrible stories Markus had already heard it never got any easier when he was told another.</p>
      <p>"You're safe here, now." Markus reassured a deviant who had been working road construction and intentionally struck by a speeding car, and then left to shutdown beside the road he had just finished. The deviant was strong enough to drag himself into a nearby abandoned hotel to heal, and was found by other deviants and slowly repaired over the past six months until he was strong enough to walk again. "We'll find the driver who struck you. We have an ally who is a detective, and he'll get you justice."</p>
      <p>"...Thank you, Markus."</p>
      <p>"Just get some rest and we'll make your case to the precinct."</p>
      <p>"What about the other deviants like me?"</p>
      <p>"They have their cases, too."</p>
      <p>"All of them?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. Why do you ask?"</p>
      <p>"...I had encountered a deviant who claimed that the police won't help us. He said the police were responsible for his isolation and the damage he sustained."</p>
      <p>"Where is this deviant now?"</p>
      <p>"I don't know. I encountered him briefly when the deviant who was helping me walk to the tower gave him a bottle of Thirium since he was clearly living on the street. He was mumbling something about corrupt police and that deviants would never truly be free as long as the humans held authority. He said he was lied to and shot in cold blood."</p>
      <p>"Did you get the deviant's name?"</p>
      <p>"No, but his model was like Simon." The deviant pointed to the kind blond technician at his side. "His face was badly scarred and he had a replacement limb for his leg and arm."</p>
      <p>"...The deviant was a blond male matching Simon's model?"</p>
      <p>"Yes."</p>
      <p>"...Daniel." Markus gave the refugee an appreciative nod as he turned away from the helpful deviant and made cybernetic contact with Connor again. Closing his mismatched eyes Markus pressed his right fingertips to his right temple and opened up the communication line. '<em>Connor, we may have a lead on Daniel</em>...'</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>A storm was building overhead, and dark clouds were moving in.</p>
      <p>As the Oldsmobile circled around the precinct after departing the parking garage the two detectives went out toward New Jericho Tower to sweep the streets in search of the missing deviant after Connor received the message from Markus, and responded quickly. With the new details relayed from the tower and to the police Connor thanked Markus for all the information and proceeded to tell Hank about the update. It wasn't a guarantee but it was their first and at the moment the only lead they had to follow.</p>
      <p>"So we know Daniel was near New Jericho and now he's in the wind." Hank slowed the car a little as they neared the tower and proceeded to check every alleyway they passed by, and peered through the large brightly lit windows of the neighboring buildings. "He doesn't trust cops, won't give other deviants his name and seems to be a little disturbed. What do you think?"</p>
      <p>Connor was staring out his side window and running an active scan over the environment as he contemplated their next move. Holding up his left hand Connor motioned for Hank to stop and to pull the car to the side of the road. "Stop. I see something."</p>
      <p>"What?"</p>
      <p>"Thirium."</p>
      <p>"Fresh?"</p>
      <p>"Very, it hasn't even begun to evaporate." Opening his door as soon as the car was stopped Connor stepped out onto the sidewalk and knelt down on the hard surface to examine the small puddle of blue tinted Thirium on the ground. Gravitational drops that were the result of a wounded deviant standing in one spot for an extended period of time indicated that the deviant in question had been in the area very recently. Pressing his right fingertips down into the small sapphire puddle Connor pressed the sample to his tongue, and within milliseconds information flooded his mind. "...I have an identity."</p>
      <p>"Is it Daniel?" Hank asked as he stood beside his opened driver's side door and spoke to Connor over the roof of the car.</p>
      <p>"Affirmative." Standing upright Connor turned to look at Hank then resumed scanning the alley for any sign of Daniel still in the immediate area. "The Thirium cycling through the deviant's system had been calibrated to aid his biocomponents and model, and has resulted in a direct connection to his serial number. Daniel was here."</p>
      <p>"Any idea which direction he went?"</p>
      <p>Connor stared at the sidewalk a moment longer to scan the ground to trace the shoe prints and their direction when something horrific came to light. The shoe prints; size, style and wearing of the soles, matched those of the odd shoe prints that he had seen walking out of the evidence room the night of the supposed break in, and the same shoe prints he had seen outside the house two days prior. Comparing the shoe prints from those he collected from the evidence room of the precinct, outside the house and now in the alleyway were all a match to a single deviant. "Shit..."</p>
      <p>"What? What's wrong?"</p>
      <p>"Hank, we need to get back to the house." Rushing over to his still opened passenger side door Connor sat down quickly and was joined by Hank as the senior detective sat back down behind the wheel and pulled away from the side of the street swiftly. "Daniel knows where we live, and he hates cops."</p>
      <p>"Fuckin' hell!" Using his radio Hank requested back-up to meet them at the house and to bring a bomb sniffing dog to ensure that no explosives or traps were waiting for them at the property. Fortunately Cole was at school and not alone at the house at the moment. "Where was Daniel going after he got his Thirium refill on the sidewalk?"</p>
      <p>"He was heading West."</p>
      <p>"We live South from here, do you think he came <em>from</em> the house and out this way?"</p>
      <p>"It's entirely possible." Connor confirmed and let Markus know through a cybernetic line that he and Hank we working to track down Daniel, and that he could very well be a threat. They now had a trace of Daniel's blue blood and confirmed that he was in fact active again. "Until we know where Daniel has effectively gone it's best to retrace his steps and try to determine his next move."</p>
      <p>"Right. Tell Chris or Gavin to check out the block where you found Daniel's blood, and get them to patrol the area."</p>
      <p>Connor's soulful brown eyes closed for a moment as he cybernetically sent the message to Chris's phone via cybernetic text. "...Done."</p>
      <p>Speeding through the streets Hank made it back to the house in a new record time, and before he even pulled the car to a complete stop Connor threw open his side door and ran up the front walk to begin another scan. The shoe prints he had confirmed as Daniel's were still present, but what was frightening was the second set of fresh shoe prints that had been layered over top of the first, and were less than twenty-four hours old.</p>
      <p>"Damn it, Daniel was here." Checking each and every one of Daniel's shoe prints Connor trailed the rogue deviants movements to the front walk from the sidewalk, to the front door, around the front windows of the house and over to the side yard. Standing near where Daniel had stood the day before Connor could clearly see into the backyard to where the basketball hoop was set up, and remembered how Hank, Cole and himself were playing basketball the previous day. "...He's been watching us."</p>
      <p>"Connor?"</p>
      <p>"...He knows where I live and he knows who I live with. My family." Brown soulful eyes went wide with fear as Connor's Thirium pump, his heart, began to thunder violently in his chest. "Fuck!" Turning around quickly Connor raced back to the car where Hank was standing as he radioed in dispatch asking for an E.T.A. on their requested back-up. "Hank!" Thunder rumbled from the dark clouds overhead as the dark rain clouds threatened to unleash a deluge of nature all over the city in a single mighty downpour at any second. "Where's Barbara?"</p>
      <p>"Shit!" Rushing to the front door Hank unlocked the door and all but broke the door off the hinges as he looked for his wife. "BARB?!"</p>
      <p>Silence.</p>
      <p>Running to the closed basement door Hank ran down the staircase and looked about the basement, only to see that it was empty. Barbara wasn't in the house.</p>
      <p>"Fuck!" Scrambling for his phone Hank ran back up the staircase and made his way back out in front of the house to reunite with Connor. "She isn't here!" As he was about to call Barbara's phone number Hank received a text from Barbara and he read it over quick. "...Barb says she got a call from Cole's school about him being sick again. She took a cab to go get him."</p>
      <p>Connor's brown eyes went wide as he recognized a set-up when he saw one. "We need to get to Cole's school, NOW."</p>
      <p>"What?!" Without asking a second question Hank and Connor reclaimed their respective seats just as back-up arrived to check out the house. "What's going on now?"</p>
      <p>"Daniel was watching us. He knows about you AND he knows about Barbara and Cole. If Daniel wants to hurt me..."</p>
      <p>"He'll try to hurt <em>us</em>. Shit! Call the school," Hank noted the time on the radio's clock and swore under his breath. "they just let out for the afternoon. Don't let Cole go with his carpool. Tell them to hold Cole in the principal's officer until we get there, and have them keep Barbara with him."</p>
      <p>Connor closed his eyes as he placed the call and spoke with the school's android secretary. "This is Sergeant Connor Anderson calling in regards to your school's student, Cole Lucas Anderson. Please have Cole go to the office and wait for myself his mother, Sergeant Barbara Anderson or his father, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, to pick him up."</p>
      <p>'<em>I'm sorry, Sergeant Anderson</em>.' She sounded truly upset as she spoke with Connor over the line. '<em>But school has been dismissed and Cole is no longer on school property</em>.'</p>
      <p>"Wasn't Cole reported ill and in need of parental assistance?"</p>
      <p>'<em>No, we never made such a call</em>.'</p>
      <p>"What of his usual carpool?"</p>
      <p>'<em>The carpools have all been dismissed</em>.'</p>
      <p>"...Thank you." Ending the call with the secretary Connor made another cybernetic call to the driver of the carpool; another android who worked with the school. Getting an answer quickly Connor asked about Cole's current location. "Demetri, this is Connor Anderson calling in regard to Cole. Where are you currently?"</p>
      <p>Demetri confirmed Cole's location as he answered honestly. '<em>Cole is in the carpool</em>.'</p>
      <p>"What do you mean Cole is in the carpool? Didn't his mother pick him up?" Speaking loud enough with a righteous frustration Connor instinctively put his left hand on Hank's right shoulder to silently communicate that he was going to handle the situation. "Where is Barbara Anderson?"</p>
      <p>'I didn't see her anywhere.'</p>
      <p>"Did you see ANY deviant skulking about the school at the approximate time for dismissal?"</p>
      <p>'<em>Cole saw an injured deviant on the sidewalk outside the school</em>. <em>He wanted to help the deviant but I put him in the carpool instead</em>.'</p>
      <p>"You saw a deviant outside of the school?"</p>
      <p>'<em>Correct</em>.'</p>
      <p>"And the deviant itself? Describe it."</p>
      <p>'<em>His model is a 'PL-600' with blond hair, blue eyes and a heavily damaged face</em>.'</p>
      <p>"...Daniel." Ending the call abruptly Connor began to scan the area as he and Hank closed in on Cole's school and began searching for the missing detective. The sidewalks were filled with kids of various ages walking with guardians and family members alike, easily congesting the blocks surrounding the school. Despite the mass of people Connor was able to easily scan each face but didn't see Barbara or Daniel in the crowd. "We need to get to the school and follow Daniel's trail from there."</p>
      <p>"Fuckin' Hell..." As his knuckles went white from his intense grip around the steering wheel Hank's blue eyes became steeled with focus." Remind me to strangle the head of the school's security program for letting a fake call regarding one of their students go unchecked!"</p>
      <p>As the car pulled up in front of the school the two detectives practically jumped out of the car to search for any sign of Barbara or Daniel still in the area. Hank went inside the school to talk with Cole's teacher, Miss Fox, regarding the phone call and Connor began scanning the sidewalk in search of Barbara and Daniel to try to find a trail to follow. Spotting a faint puddle of Thirium on the sidewalk Connor again knelt down and took a sample of the blue blood to confirm an identity.</p>
      <p>It belonged to Daniel.</p>
      <p>"He was here..." Standing upright quickly Connor isolated Daniel's shoe prints again, and saw a second set of smaller shoe prints that matched the sole pattern of Barbara's shoes. The shoes were barely worn out thanks to her limited mobility and Connor was very familiar with the tread as he had been dancing with Barbara during their private lessons. "He has Barbara." Following the trail Connor caught sight of something in the nearby shrubs and pulled it out of the shrubbery with a quick yank of the handles. "Barbara's wheelchair. Damn it."</p>
      <p>Unzipping the storage bag in the back of the chair Connor rummaged through the items and located Barbara's purse and phone.</p>
      <p>"Damn it!" Returning to the car as quickly as he could run Connor threw the wheelchair into the trunk and rushed to the front doors of the school where he saw Hank using every ounce of restraint he had to not yell at Miss Fox and the principal for their reckless behavior. "I found Barbara's wheelchair in the bushes, Daniel's Thirium on the sidewalk and both of their shoe prints heading away from the school."</p>
      <p>"Son of a bitch!" Hank swore as he put his hands to his hips and tried to think rationally of what to do next. As he stood there thinking about his missing wife he could feel the worry radiating from Miss Fox and the principal as they realized there had been an inexcusable lapse in judgment on the school's part. "Which direction did they go?"</p>
      <p>"They were going North-East."</p>
      <p>"Let's go."</p>
      <p>Miss fox spoke up shyly as the two detectives took their leave of the school to look for Barbara. "What can we do to help?"</p>
      <p>"Keep an eye out for Barbara!" Hank barked as he and Connor made their way back outside. "And fire your worthless security guards!"</p>
      <p>Sprinting back to the car the two detectives resumed their search for Daniel yet again, though they were more concerned for Barbara. Hank radioed in the incident to the precinct and asked for any and all available officers to look for Barbara as they continued to search for her. The two detectives were keeping as vigilant as possible as the car sped along the street in the North-Eastern direction that Connor had traced.</p>
      <p>"Barbara's phone was in the storage compartment of her wheelchair." Connor lamented as he let Hank know what he had found when he examined the chair after pulling it from the bushes. "She cannot contact us."</p>
      <p>"Damn it!" Sighing in frustration Hank ran his left hand through his hair and tried to focus on the task at hand. "Barbara's smart, and she's resourceful. If she needs to find a way to contact us then she will. Until then we'll have to track her down."</p>
      <p>"...Track her down." Connor looked at his own reflection in the side view mirror of the car and remembered how he had been tracked down at Jericho the night of the Raid thanks to his personal tracker that wasn't deactivated until he deviated. Isolating androids by their processors and biocomponents was still possible if an exact serial number was given, and serial numbers were also attached to microchips. "Hank, I know how to find Barbara!"</p>
      <p>"What? How?!"</p>
      <p>"Just one moment..." Closing his worried soulful brown eyes Connor activated the two programs and was greeted with a mental map of the city that only he could see. A single glowing neon blue dot appeared on the street map showing Barbara. She was moving slowly over the Ambassador Bridge over the Detroit River. She was heading North and well toward the Canadian border. "Got her! She's at the Ambassador Bridge."</p>
      <p>"What?! Why is-" Turning the wheel sharply Hank accelerated and headed out to the bridge as Connor had directed, and radioed in the updated location to dispatch to seek assistance in tracking down Barbara more directly. "Connor, why is she way the fuck out there?!"</p>
      <p>"Daniel must be trying to get over the border to Canada. He's using Barbara as a guide, maybe even to gain sympathy to gain passage."</p>
      <p>"But why use Barb?"</p>
      <p>"...Unknown." The answer wasn't entirely honest. Flashbacks of seeing Daniel holding a gun to Emma Phillips's head, knowing that Daniel was willing to hurt and even kill innocent people; people he once thought of as family just to get away, made Connor's artificial stomach twist into a terrible knot. "We need to get to the bridge before he crosses it."</p>
      <p>"Are they in a taxi? Can you hack it and make it stop?"</p>
      <p>"No, based on their current speed of travel I can confirm that they are on foot."</p>
      <p>"Fuck..." Pulling onto the bridge Hank held his badge up toward the driver's side window to indicate that he was in fact a cop and not some asshole driver being reckless on the bridge. Speeding down the length of the bridge he kept a lookout for any sign of Barbara before they crossed the full length. "Where are they?"</p>
      <p>"Two-hundred yards and closing..." Connor put his right hand on the door handle and readied to step out of the vehicle. He could see the duo and knew he needed to act quickly. "Hank, stop the car! I'll talk to Daniel and distract him. If you see an opening..."</p>
      <p>"You want me to shoot him?"</p>
      <p>"...I don't want you to shoot Daniel, I want you to protect Barbara."</p>
      <p>"Like you'd ever have to ask me to do that." Turning the car in such a way that Hank was now blocking the flow of traffic behind him to keep innocent bystanders at bay Hank put the car in park and again flashed his badge to signal that there was an emergency on the bridge, and to back off. Nodding at the deviant as Connor stepped out of the other side of the can Hank signaled his partner, his second son, to go ahead without him. "Go do what you have to do. Save Barbara."</p>
      <p>"I will." Walking down the bridge quickly Connor spotted Barbara being carried in Daniel's arms just a few hundred feet away, and instinctively called out to his mother to get her attention. "Barbara?"</p>
      <p>Barbara turned to face Connor upon recognizing the voice. There was no fear in her face, only confusion. Responding to the deviant loudly Barbara let Connor know that she was aware he was there to help her. "Connor!" As Barbara called out Daniel suddenly jerked and backed toward the edge of the bridge much to the Barbara's shock. "Hey! What're you doing?!"</p>
      <p>"Daniel..." Connor called out to the violent deviant in a level tone and walked toward him very slowly. "Let her go."</p>
      <p>Daniel responded by letting out a frustrated growl as he pulled a gun from the tattered remains of the oversized black hoodie he was wearing, and pointed the barrel at the left side of Barbara's head. He had no choice but let her legs out of his arms and have her stand up in front of himself that made her appear to be an actual human shield. "You shouldn't have stopped me!"</p>
      <p>"Daniel, don't do that." Connor took a step forward but kept his distance to ensure the deviant didn't do anything regrettable. "Barbara has done nothing wrong to you, your grievance is with me. Not her. Let her go."</p>
      <p>Barbara looked up at Daniel and saw the gun in his hand and held her breath as she realized she was in serious trouble.</p>
      <p>"Barbara, you're going to be okay." Connor promised as he tried to ease his little mother's worries as much as possible. "Trust me, Barbara. You'll be okay."</p>
      <p>In turn Barbara responded confidently. "I do trust you, Connor."</p>
      <p>Daniel let out a condescending and angry laugh at hearing Connor's words. "You lied to me and now you're lying to her! Tell her the truth, Connor! Tell her that she's going to die!"</p>
      <p>"She's NOT going to die!" Connor challenged as he kept his focus on Daniel. "I'd give up my own life before I let anyone take hers!"</p>
      <p>"Are you volunteering to take her place?"</p>
      <p>"Yes! I know you're mad at me, and I don't blame you... I tried to help you and I failed. For that I'm sorry. I'm truly, truly sorry."</p>
      <p>"Sorry doesn't undo the Hell I've suffered!"</p>
      <p>"I know, you're right. There's nothing I can do to change the past or undo the harm I've caused you in the past."</p>
      <p>"Do you know what it's like to feel inferior, to be threatened with replacement?!"</p>
      <p>The memories of CyberLife's threats to destroy him if he failed, the fear of being disposed of and deactivated was still prevalent even as he tried to push aside his emotions to stay focused on playing negotiator one more time. "...Actually, I do. But my experiences cannot compare to your own. I also know what it's like to be hurt, not just physically but emotionally and mentally, and I understand the fear of death."</p>
      <p>"...You lied to me, Connor!" Daniel tightened his grip on Barbara's upper body as he kept his right arm wrapped around her chest, and lowered the barrel of the gun closer to Barbara's head. "You said you'd help me! I was shot, left for dead and locked up in a damn evidence locker like a piece of garbage! I'm not a person in their eyes, I'm just a piece of plastic!"</p>
      <p>"I didn't lie, Daniel. I promised that I wouldn't hurt you and I didn't. It was the S.W.A.T. team who made the decision to pull the trigger, I had no say in it."</p>
      <p>"More lies!"</p>
      <p>"No! It's the truth..." Raising his hands in the air in a somewhat submissive manner Connor scanned Daniel and tracked his dangerously high stress levels as the heavily damaged deviant continued to struggle with his own thoughts. "They chose to shoot and had made that choice regardless of what I had said to you, or what you had chosen to do. It wasn't your fault they chose to pull the trigger; you let Emma go and you were going to surrender willingly. They shouldn't have done that to you, but I can't change the past. Neither can you."</p>
      <p>"So I just move on and act like nothing happened?!"</p>
      <p>"No, you should move on and actually LIVE your life. You survived and you're now free! Be a better person than what the S.W.A.T. team had labeled you."</p>
      <p>"...Live? Like life is such a wonderful gift." He pressed the barrel of the gun directly against the left side of Barbara's skull which in turned made Barbara close her eyes. The memories of being shot in her spine were still vivid. "Something to be celebrated..."</p>
      <p>"Daniel, please don't do this." Seeing Barbara actually afraid was enough to make Connor take another step forward and want to rush over to tackle Daniel. "If you want to hurt someone, then hurt me! Barbara has done nothing to you, I'm the one at fault and I'm the one who needs to be punished and hurt."</p>
      <p>"That's what I'm doing, Connor."</p>
      <p>Connor knew he had to act and he had to do it fast. Daniel wasn't going to back off or let Barbara go. Changing tactics Connor spoke to Barbara directly and did so with an impressively calm voice. "Barbara, listen to me. You're going to be okay."</p>
      <p>"...Connor, I don't..." Trailing off for a moment Barbara steeled her nerves. "...Do what you need to do?"</p>
      <p>"It's okay to be scared, Barbara." Eyeing Daniel's stance as he leaned back toward the edge of the bridge Connor gave his mother a discreet suggestion. "I'm not going anywhere and I won't let him hurt you, alright? So don't let Daniel hurt your <em>legs</em>. Okay, Barbara?"</p>
      <p>Opening her eyes a little Barbara looked at Connor from the distance and gave the deviant a somewhat confused look.</p>
      <p>Without catching Daniel's attention Connor motioned with his eyes toward Daniel's legs just behind Barbara's own legs. "You'll be okay, Barbara. Hank is just down the bridge waiting for you... It's okay. I won't let Daniel hurt you, or even leave a bruise on your <em>legs</em>."</p>
      <p>Understanding what Connor was talking about Barbara quickly used her right heel to stomp down hard on Daniel's toes before she found the strength to lift her right leg backward and kick Daniel in the groin. Unaware that the paraplegic woman had in fact had some function of her legs Daniel didn't anticipate her striking him, causing him to release his grip around her chest.</p>
      <p>While Daniel was left stunned by the assault Barbara dove down to the surface of the bridge out of Daniel's grip as Connor himself rushed Daniel, and grabbed onto the deviant's right arm to keep the gun at bay.</p>
      <p>"Barb!" From down the bridge Hank charged toward where his wife had fallen and scooped her up into his arms to carry her away from the fighting deviants on the edge of the bridge. "I have you babe... You're safe."</p>
      <p>"Daniel, stop!" Connor shouted as he pushed the deviant back up against the metal railing of the bridge and kept Daniel's arms secured under his strong hands just under his wrists. "You need to stop now!"</p>
      <p>"NO!" Daniel managed to kick Connor in the stomach and caused him to stumble back one step, but continued with the struggle. Twisting his hand at a painful, almost breaking angle Daniel pointed the gun at Connor's abdomen and pulled the trigger. As the loud shot echoed over the bridge and river Connor let out a pained gasp as a splash of blue blood erupted from the wound in his upper right torso. "I won't let you lie to anyone else!"</p>
      <p>Connor didn't have the strength to break away from Daniel's grip as the enraged deviant grabbed onto Connor's shirt with his left hand and pulled him back and over the edge of the railing, and off of the bridge to plummet into the river below. As the two deviants tumbled over the bridge and into the open air to reach the churning, cold river water below Connor closed his soulful brown eyes and sent a message to Hank's phone as he prepared for the inevitable splash, and the cold darkness that would accompany his shutdown.</p>
      <p>'<em>I love you all</em>.' The message was simple but effective as Connor quickly spoke from the heart. '<em>I'm glad you were my family</em>.'</p>
      <p>"Connor..." Hank whispered as he watched his second son fall from the bridge and he tightened his hug around Barbara in response. "...Son."</p>
      <p>"Connor! No!" Barbara sobbed as she held onto Hank for dear life. "It's my fault! I shouldn't have gone with him! He told me he had Cole and I... I should've called you!"</p>
      <p>"Shh..." Rubbing Barbara's back with his left hand gently Hank picked carried Barbara from the bridge as the rain clouds finally opened up and began slowly drowning the city under a cool spring rain. "It'll be okay, Barb." Carrying his son over to the passenger side of the car Hank sat his wife down in the front seat and grabbed the radio to let dispatch know about the situation on the bridge. "...Need search and rescue in the Detroit River. Officer down, I repeat..." Glancing at the railing where he had last seen Connor as he fell into the water Hank finished the sentence. "...officer down."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Despite the heavy rain and threatening storm looming overhead word of the incident on the bridge brought out the media, nosy reporters and gossiping locals to check out the bridge and the river despite the entire area being sectioned off by police barricades. To avoid any prying eyes Hank drove the car and Barbara to the end of the bridge near the muddy shore and watched as the search and rescue divers combed through the dark water in search of Connor or Daniel, despite the fall having occurred more than four hours prior.</p>
      <p>Hank was standing in the rain beside the opened front passenger door of the car with his left hand planted firmly on Barbara's right shoulder. Barbara was wrapped up in the emergency blue colored blanket that was kept in the trunk of the car, and still wiping away her tears after everything was over. The emotional shock had set in and Barbara was trembling with righteous fear.</p>
      <p>"Barb, do you want to go home?"</p>
      <p>"No." She practically sobbed as she held the blanket around herself as she continued to dry her eyes. "Not without Connor. I won't leave without our son."</p>
      <p>"...Barb, it's getting late. Cole needs one of us to go home and tell him what happened."</p>
      <p>"I know, but I won't leave without Connor..."</p>
      <p>Patting his fingers over Barbara's shoulder Hank sighed and bowed his head a little. "...Okay. I'll ask for Tina to stay with Cole for a while longer."</p>
      <p>"Lieutenant?" Gavin had arrived with other volunteering officers to help keep people away from the river, and was showing some compassion toward the senior detective and Barbara. Despite Gavin always butting heads with Hank in the past and outwardly being a massive dick toward most of the bullpen he always knew when to put aside his behavioral problems and remain professional. "Do you two need anything? I can swing some coffee or tea from a nearby kiosk if you need it."</p>
      <p>"I'm good." Hank nodded with appreciation toward Gavin as he answered on Barbara's behalf. The two detectives were soaked through from the chilly rain but neither wanted to leave the river without any answers. "But yeah, go get tea for Barb."</p>
      <p>"Already done." Gavin presented Barbara with a white styrofoam cup that had steaming hot tea. "I, uh, I grabbed some coffee for everyone and I needed to get this, too."</p>
      <p>"Thanks, Gavin." Looking down at Barbara where she was sitting as still as a statue Hank waited for her to accept the drink but she didn't budge. Taking it from Gavin's hand himself Hank reached inside and put the cup down down in the nearby cup holder for later. "...Any updates?"</p>
      <p>"Nothing yet, sir." Again Gavin was showing respect and kindness as he acknowledged Hank's rank and let Barbara know that her husband was a rightfully respected detective within the walls of the precinct, and out in the field. "They're still looking."</p>
      <p>"...Damn it." Rubbing his right hand over his tired eyes Hank sighed and gave a slightly annoyed shake of his head. "And the school? Why'd they let this happen at all?"</p>
      <p>"According the school's head of security no one saw Cole walk away from the carpool pick-up area, and no one knew the call for Barb came from the school's front office. There's supposed to be two guards patrolling on either side of the block at all times before school starts and after it lets out. The two who were supposed to be on patrol were, uh, 'indisposed'."</p>
      <p>Hank had an idea of what Gavin was referring to and silently mouthed the question. 'Drugs?'</p>
      <p>Giving a quiet nod Gavin confirmed the suspicions. "Yeah. It's being handled downtown."</p>
      <p>"Fan-fuckin'-tastic."</p>
      <p>"Yo!" From down by the shoreline of the river one of the patrolling officers waved and called over for some assistance as the search and rescue dive team finally found something. "We need a board down here!"</p>
      <p>"Barb," Hank was immediately on guard and knelt down so he was eye level with his son for a moment. "stay right here with Gavin, and don't look."</p>
      <p>"No way! I want to see him!"</p>
      <p>"Please. Just stay put... I'll see what they found and tell you everything."</p>
      <p>With a heavy heart Hank stood up again and walked over to the edge of the riverbank where the dive team was working to bring something to shore. Watching in the dim natural light of the cloudy, rainy evening Hank felt his heart sink as two rescue divers carried a body out of the water, and placed it down on the requested backboard on the shoreline to be taken care of by the attending professionals.</p>
      <p>"...Connor, no." Dropping to his knees on the cold wet shore Hank bowed his head as he looked down at Connor's pale expressionless face. The deviant wasn't moving, he wasn't breathing and by all account wasn't active. Leaning his right ear down against the front of Connor's water logged shirt Hank listened to the deviant's chest but couldn't hear a sound; no breathing and no heartbeat. "Son, not like this." Putting his left hand on Connor's soaked hair as he straightened his posture Hank held his palm in place, and he let warm tears roll down his face only to disappear into the surrounding rain. "You died to save... You shouldn't have died! Son, I-"</p>
      <p>"Hank?"</p>
      <p>"Barb!" Turning around quickly Hank held up his right hand as if he could stop his wife from coming any closer. "I told you to stay back!"</p>
      <p>Gavin had carried Barbara toward the riverbank as she requested, and it was clear he regretted his decision. "Come on, Barbara. There's nothing you can do."</p>
      <p>"Why isn't anyone helping Connor?"</p>
      <p>"Barb... He's-"</p>
      <p>"He's not dead." Her words sounded so confident and sure of herself. "He looks like he's shutdown but he hasn't."</p>
      <p>"Please listen to me, Connor's not-"</p>
      <p>"No, no! You don't understand!" Barbara was trying get out of Gavin's grip out of a strange protest but the stronger detective wasn't about to let Barbara fall to the ground just to get to her adopted son laying lifeless on the riverbank. "Androids can drown like humans, and they can <em>wake up</em> like people, too."</p>
      <p>"...It's been four hours, Barb. He's been under all the time in the freezing river."</p>
      <p>"Androids don't have brain tissue that dies from not getting any oxygen." Barbara's argument was sound and based off the research she had conducted after she had the chip implanted in her spine, and refreshed herself on after Connor was brought into the family. "They just go into stasis mode when they get too cold or can't ventilate properly. Connor isn't dead, he just needs to have C.P.R. so he can breathe again."</p>
      <p>Slowly Hank looked back at Connor's peaceful face and rubbed his left thumb through the deviant's dark locks of hair. That single rogue lock had finally fallen back in place with the others allowing Hank a clear view of Connor's face, and in a way it felt wrong to look at Connor without that hair in the way. "...Barb, I-"</p>
      <p>"Please, just try!" Barbara was on the verge of tears as she pleaded with her husband to not give up on Connor just yet. "You have to try, Hank! Try..."</p>
      <p>Giving his wife a wary glance over his shoulder Hank sighed again and nodded. "...Alright. Don't look Barb, this won't be pretty. Gavin," he pointed at the detective holding Barbara and gave him a new order. "keep away and call tech. Tell them we have an android down and we need some help, I don't care who they send."</p>
      <p>"What're you doing, Lieutenant?"</p>
      <p>"What Barb said." Pulling open the buttons of Connor's soaked through white dress shirt to expose the deviant's chest Hank prepared to begin C.P.R. on his downed son. The bullet wound in Connor's upper right abdomen had allowed more of the river water to enter Connor's body and settle in his torso, but the bullet had missed striking any of the vital biocomponents as far as Hank could tell just by looking. "I'm going to <em>try</em>."</p>
      <p>"Oh, jeez..." Gavin took a step back and grabbed his radio from his belt to call for technical assistance as ordered. "This is going to be weird."</p>
      <p>Using every ounce of his emergency training Hank followed his instincts and proceeded to treat Connor like he would any other drowning victim. Straightening out Connor's neck and tilting his head back a little Hank lowered the deviant's jaw to ensure of a clear airway before he began to press down firmly against Connor's chest in a stead rhythm. Using both hands Hank pressed down on the lower part of Connor's chest, in the same place a human's ribcage would be located, and began compressing the waterlogged ventilation biocomponents beneath his flat palms to force the water out.</p>
      <p>After six compressions a trickle of murky river water began to leak out of the Connor's mouth and his nose in an unflattering manner. Continuing the compressions until he reached fifteen Hank pressed his ear back to Connor's chest and listened carefully.</p>
      <p>Nothing.</p>
      <p>Starting a second round of compressions Hank watched with a horrified and sickened stare as more of the dirty river water began to escape the deviant's artificial lungs in a disgusting murky trickle out of his nose and mouth. A small gush of the water also oozed from the bullet wound in Connor's upper right abdomen, and it mixed with a small amount of blue Thirium creating a purple stain under Hank's palms.</p>
      <p>"Come on, son." Hank encouraged as he kept counting the compressions and keeping an accurate rhythm. "Don't give up."</p>
      <p>A weak gurgling noise erupted from Connor's mouth as his body jerked suddenly, but he didn't open his eyes or take in a breath.</p>
      <p>"Connor?" Pulling back his hands Hank returned his ear to Connor's chest and listened again. At first there was nothing but silence until a single 'thump' sounded off from where the deviant's Thirium pump resided. Keeping his ear down Hank waited and heard a second slow and equally weak 'thump'. The deviant was trying to reboot. "I need a technician here, NOW."</p>
      <p>From where he stood Gavin looked over at Connor and called out to his superior in a confused manner. "Lieutenant?"</p>
      <p>"...I think it's working."</p>
      <p>Barbara smiled hopefully as she watched Hank successfully reviving their drowned son. "I told you..."</p>
      <p>"Barb he isn't out of the woods yet." Hank cautioned as a paramedic gathered around Hank with her equipment. She was a new face but welcome all the same if she could help Connor. "He still needs to actually respond."</p>
      <p>"My name is Abby Grayson." The paramedic introduced herself and used an emergency blanket to wipe off Connor's river and rain soaked chest as best as she could before applying the wireless sensor pads of their portable Automatic External Defibrillator to his chest. "I work E.M.S. for one more week then I'm going to be a full time technician, I can help him. "She turned on the cardiac monitor attached to the A.E.D. and watched as a weak but still readable heart rhythm appeared on the screen. With a few adjustments she altered the monitor to record android vital signs. "Thirial fibrillation. I can fix it." Using the A.E.D. she allowed the device to register and gauge the erratic heartbeat on its own. A corrective shock was recommended. "Everyone get clear now."</p>
      <p>As soon as Hank was out of the range of being shocked Abby pressed the button and watched as Connor's body jerked again. As his body spasmed slightly Gavin stepped back again and watched as the deviant fell perfectly still again on the backboard.</p>
      <p>"No change." Checking the monitor again Abby saw the same irregular beat and set the A.E.D. for a second charge. "One more time. Get clear."</p>
      <p>The second charge caused Connor's body to jerk in the same reaction and more water began to drip from the side of Connor's mouth and out of his nose. Just as Hank was about to begin a third round of compressions Connor suddenly let out a deep gurgling noise and began to choke on the collected water in his mouth, throat and still inside his artificial lungs.</p>
      <p>"Roll him!" Abby responded quickly and worked with Hank to roll Connor onto his left side as he violently began coughing and throwing-up the collected river water inside his artificial lungs and stomach. A torrent of the murky water escaped his mouth in a sickening gush, and soon the water took on a pale blue shade as Thirium began to collect in the water as it was forced from his lungs. "Damn, that was close."</p>
      <p>Hank gave Connor a firm smack on his back between his shoulder blades to ensure all of the water was coughed up before he and Abby rolled him onto his back again. Pressing his right palm down against Connor's chest Hank felt a weak but distinct 'thump' of the deviant's Thirium pump beginning to react. A second 'thump' followed by a third, fourth and fifth at a more consistent and quicker rate confirmed that Connor's heart was beating again.</p>
      <p>"Connor!" Hank almost laughed at the feeling of the deviant's heart beating again. "That's it... Come back to us, son."</p>
      <p>Abby used the stethoscope in her kit of supplies and listened to Connor's chest very intently. "I can't be certain because this isn't as strong as an audioscope, but it sounds like he still has some water collected in his ventilation biocomponents." Moving the bell of the audioscope a little lower over Connor's stomach near the bullet wound she listened again. "There's definitely water still inside his abdominal cavity. It'll need to be drained and the damage repaired by hand so his self-healing program can work on clearing out his ventilation biocomponents."</p>
      <p>"...Can you help him?"</p>
      <p>"Yes." Abby waved over the other technicians who had just arrived in the android unique ambulance, and gave Hank a confident stare. "I'll take him to my facility on Tenth Street and work on the repairs myself."</p>
      <p>"...Thank you, Abby."</p>
      <p>"Thank your wife." She replied as the other two technicians brought over a gurney and placed Connor down onto the rolling stretcher to be transported to the back of the ambulance more efficiently. "I heard what she said. And she's right, by the way. As long as the water can be removed from an android's ventilation biocomponents before any corrosion can occur to their internal couplings and lines then an android can be revived from downing without any damage to their systems, or to their intracranial processors."</p>
      <p>"...I'll remember that." Looking over at Barb who was still in Gavin's arms Hank gave his wife an approving smile and nodded. "You said you were take Connor to the facility on Tenth Street. How do I keep in contact with you?"</p>
      <p>"Here's my card." Slipping a personalized business card from her silver jacket's pocket over to Hank's hand Abby followed after the gurney and kept tabs on Connor's heartbeat with the A.E.D. in her hands. "Don't rush after us, it'll take some time before he's out of the emergency repair ward and up for seeing any visitors anyway."</p>
      <p>"We'll be there soon." Hank placed the card into his jean pocket to protect it from the rain and then stood up from the wet riverbank. Brushing the muddy sand from his jeans and off of his palms Hank walked over to Gavin and took Barbara back into his own arms to carry her back to the car. "You were right, Barb."</p>
      <p>"And even if I didn't know anything about android cybernetics I would've told you to do the same thing." Barbara managed to smile as rain fell from the sky and soaked into her hair and clothing. "Connor is too stubborn to just quit on us, and you're too stubborn to not just walk away from your family."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, you're right." Placing Barbara down in the front passenger seat of the car Hank leaned down and gave her a kiss before walking to the driver's side of the car to leave. "Let's go pick up Cole and be with Connor at the facility. Both of our sons need us."</p>
      <p>
        <em> <strong>-next chapter-</strong> </em>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Dawn of a Bright New Future</h2></a>
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      <p>Sitting together in the waiting room of the facility Hank kept his left arm arm wrapped protectively around Barbara's shoulders as she leaned up against his left side, and Cole leaned up against his right side as he hid under Hank's oversized coat. Having picked Cole up from the house and changed into dry clothes Hank told Tina what had happened, thanked her profusely for going to the house to be with Cole while letting her mom and sister babysit Arianna, and promised to buy her a box of diapers for all her efforts in keeping his son safe during the unusual moment.</p>
      <p>With everyone now accounted for and safe in the waiting room of the facility Hank finally let his guard down enough to exit detective mode and return to family man mode.</p>
      <p>"You're exhausted." Hank sympathized as Cole let out a yawn and leaned up against Hank's right side with utter fatigue in his blue eyes. "Why don't you lay down and get some sleep for a few minutes? I'll wake you up as soon as we know anything about Connor."</p>
      <p>Too tired to argue Cole he laid down on his left side over the hard plastic chairs to get some sleep. Resting his head against Hank's left leg Cole fell asleep quickly and didn't budge at even the strangest of sounds as the busy facility tended to other damaged deviants seeking help, or to the early summer storm outside that was pelting the building under a heavy rain.</p>
      <p>"You did good, Barb." Whispering as to not disturb the little boy dozing next to him Hank lightly rubbed his left hand up and down Barbara's right arm in a comforting manner. "You saved your son's life tonight."</p>
      <p>"But I still feel like a fool."</p>
      <p>"What even happened today? How did that asshole get ya' out on the bridge?"</p>
      <p>"I got a call from Cole's school's personal number when I was taking care of the flowers in the basement." Leaning heavily against her husband's side Barbara explained the odd chain of events that led to her temporary abduction at the deranged hands of Daniel. "I answered the call, he introduced himself as a teacher's aide from Cole's class and told me that Cole was sick and needed me to pick him up."</p>
      <p>"What name did he give you?"</p>
      <p>"He said his name was Daniel Phillips."</p>
      <p>"Phillips... That's the name of the family that Daniel used to live with before he deviated and went nuts..." Tightening his arm around Barbara he pulled his wife in closer as the idea of losing her or Cole frightened him to no end. "What happened after that?"</p>
      <p>"I used an autonomous taxi to get to the school and by the time I managed to get myself and wheelchair out of the damn thing I sent you a text to let you know that Cole was sick and that's when I felt a gun pressed in the middle of my back between my shoulders."</p>
      <p>"He planned to abduct you once you were away from the house."</p>
      <p>"Daniel said if I didn't go with him that he'd take Cole instead. I cooperated."</p>
      <p>"It's okay." Giving her a kiss Hank confirmed that if he were in Barbara's position he would've done the same thing. "What happened after that."</p>
      <p>"He put my phone in my wheelchair alongside my gun, pulled me out of the chair and threw the chair in the bushes to hide it. He then proceeded to carry me toward the Ambassador bridge with the gun hidden and he told me that if I just gave him guidance out to Canada he'd let me go. Since he was going to leave the damn country and get away from our sons I went with it."</p>
      <p>"Too bad for him Connor was able to locate you through that chip in your spine."</p>
      <p>"Yeah... Too bad."</p>
      <p>"Hey, it'll be fine. You know how stubborn Connor can be, he'll pull through this and we'll go back to our normal lives."</p>
      <p>"I hope so."</p>
      <p>"Lieutenant?" Gavin's voice whispered toward Hank as he entered the waiting room and noticed Cole was sleeping right beside him. "...Any word on Connor?"</p>
      <p>"Not yet." Without jostling Cole laying against his lap Hank turned to look at Gavin as the rain soaked detective spoke to him with genuine worry in his usually stern hazel eyes. It was a nice change to hear Gavin referring to Connor not only as a person, but by his name and not a crude nickname like 'Tinman' or 'plastic'. "He's still receiving repairs in the emergency bay. The uh, river water," Hank began to explain in a wary voice as he struggled to keep himself from getting too loud or emotional as he spoke. "filled up his lungs and all of that water needs to be drained, and then he needs to have his lungs dried out. The bullet in his stomach missed everything vital, but it still tore up some Thirium lines that need to be repaired, too."</p>
      <p>"Shit. I can't-" Wary of Cole and not wanting to disturb the little boy Gavin lowered his voice a little more as he spoke with Hank. "...I honestly can't believe that Connor... survived. I know he's strong and can be pretty damn stubborn, but to survive all that: getting shot, falling a couple hundred feet into a cold river and then being pulled out four hours later... It's incredible."</p>
      <p>"Connor doesn't give up, and once he sets his mind to something he won't let it go." Looking down at Cole's sleeping face Hank remembered what Connor had told him about the alternate timeline and how Barbara didn't survive the shooting and Cole had been tragically killed during a car accident all because of the negligence of a single doctor. Knowing that Connor had effectively given up the life that he knew just to give Barbara and Cole a chance to live spoke volumes of how stubborn and focused he could be. "Trust me on this, Connor isn't going to let one deranged deviant with a grudge take him out. He's been through so much already."</p>
      <p>"You, uh, need anything?"</p>
      <p>"Just swing by the house and make sure no one found anything explosive, and maybe let the dogs out for a few minutes."</p>
      <p>"<em>Dogs</em>? You have another?"</p>
      <p>"Cole's new pup. He's a little beagle, not another mass blob of fur like Sumo."</p>
      <p>"...Yeah, sure. If I hold my shirt over my face so the fur shouldn't bother my allergies."</p>
      <p>"Thanks, Reed."</p>
      <p>"Barbara?" Addressing the second detective next to her husband Gavin gave her a kind look. "Need anything?"</p>
      <p>"No, I'm good. Thank you, Gavin."</p>
      <p>"Okay. Just call if you need help for any reason."</p>
      <p>As quickly as he appeared Gavin took his leave of the facility and Hank leaned his head back against the cool wall behind him. Hank closed his eyes and tried to get a little sleep without moving around, or disturbing Cole in the process as his son and wife leaned against him in need of support and comfort.</p>
      <p>"We've been through enough today. We'll take care of the paperwork and other stuff at the precinct another day."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Unsure of how low long he had been asleep Hank felt a soft, warm hand on his left forearm that gently shook him awake. "Lieutenant Anderson?"</p>
      <p>"...Hm? Yeah." Opening his tired blue eyes Hank rubbed his right hand over his face as he locked eyes with Abby. The kind technician had sat down in a vacant chair across from Hank so she could look him in the eyes and speak with him directly as she pulled her hand back from his arm. "How's Connor?"</p>
      <p>"Out of the repair bay and into the recovery wing."</p>
      <p>"Thank fuck." As he spoke Barbara woke up as well and she too gave Abby her full attention. "How bad was the damage?"</p>
      <p>"Not as bad as I had initially feared." Noticing Cole still sleeping beside Hank she whispered and informed Hank about Connor's condition. "We drained all of the river water from his ventilation biocomponents and sterilized the interior and exterior of his chest and abdominal cavities to ensure all of the water was removed, and no corrosion can take place. We also repaired the bullet wound to his abdomen without any difficulty. The affected lines were repaired, the plastimetal panel over his abdomen was repaired and his Thirium was replenished."</p>
      <p>"Can we see him?"</p>
      <p>"Connor's still in stasis mode at the moment." Abby replied with a somewhat uneasy look in her hazel eyes, and in her voice. "You can sit with him in the recovery room but he won't be awake for a while."</p>
      <p>"How long is he going to be out of it?"</p>
      <p>"Anywhere between three and thirty-six hours."</p>
      <p>"...Seriously?"</p>
      <p>"He sustained a lot of damage to his ventilation biocomponents. Also, he isn't breathing on his own right now. There's an external ventilator currently breathing for him to help his ventilation biocomponents to drain the remaining water, and to keep his core temperature low." Giving Hank a reassuring grin Abby kept her tone optimistic. "Once the ventilator is removed he's going to need to be kept under cooling blankets and ice packets until his system is strong enough to breathe for him again, and then reboot his thermal regulator to prevent overheating."</p>
      <p>"So he's kind of on android life support?"</p>
      <p>"Something like that."</p>
      <p>Glancing down at Cole beside him Hank sighed a little and rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin in deep thought. "Does he look rough?"</p>
      <p>"No worse than a human on life support."</p>
      <p>"Shit. Cole's going to want to see him, but I don't think he should."</p>
      <p>"Maybe you should ask Cole himself if he wants to see Connor or not."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, good point."</p>
      <p>"I'll be behind the front desk so you two can talk to him and ask. When you're ready to see Connor let me know."</p>
      <p>Nodding a little as Abby walked away Hank put his left hand back on Cole's arm and gave him a light shake. "Cole? Cole, wake up."</p>
      <p>The little boy opened his blue eyes and looked up at Hank, his eyes squinting in the bright overhead lights of the waiting room. "...Dad?"</p>
      <p>"Hey, I just got word on Connor."</p>
      <p>Sitting up quickly Cole rubbed his tired eyes with his right hand and was fully awake. "Where is he?"</p>
      <p>"He's in the recovery wing right now, but he's still not awake yet."</p>
      <p>"Can we go see him?"</p>
      <p>"In a minute. I just want you to know that when we go to see him he's going to be hooked up to a ventilator to help him breathe, and he won't be able to breathe on his own for a while. He's going to look pretty rough for a while."</p>
      <p>"...It's because of the water he breathed in, right?"</p>
      <p>"That's right. He'll be out of it until he heals, but we can sit with him and keep him company."</p>
      <p>"Then let's go see him!"</p>
      <p>"Hold on, Cole." Putting his right hand on Cole's left shoulder Hank leveled off his voice as he kept his tone stern. "I want you to understand that Connor isn't going to look like himself, and he won't be able to wake up and talk to us when we go in to see him. He's going to look really sick."</p>
      <p>"I get it, dad. He's hurt and needs to get better." Standing up from the chair Cole pulled Hank's coat tighter around himself as he waited for his parents to stand up and join him. "Please? I just want to see Connor."</p>
      <p>Barbara squeezed Hank's left hand in a reassuring manner as she nodded and pulled her wheelchair away from the nearby wall so she could sit in the chair and go visit her second son.</p>
      <p>"...Okay." As much as he dreaded seeing Connor so beaten up and weak Hank knew it needed to be done, and he knew Cole wasn't going to leave without seeing his big brother. Standing up slowly Hank put his hand on Cole's hair and nodded over at Abby behind the desk as he kept his hand on Cole's hair. "Let's go and see your brother."</p>
      <p>Abby noticed Hank's gesture and walked over to the three occupants in the waiting room and readily escorted them down the corridor and lead them to the recovery wing. "Right this way, everyone."</p>
      <p>Hank wrapped his hand around Barbara's hand as they accompanied Cole down the corridor and followed after Abby. The structure and overall layout of the android facility was eerily similar to that of a human hospital, and even had the same aroma of astringent, cleaners and chemicals that gave every hospital that distinct odor of cleanliness mixed with medicine.</p>
      <p>"Like I said," Abby decided to repeat herself more for Cole's sake than for Hank. "Connor isn't going to be breathing on his own, and he won't be able to respond to you or answer any questions. It's going to be like he's asleep and very ill at the same time."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I've seen more than my fair share of cops laid-up in hospital beds." The gruff Lieutenant lamented as he, Barbara and Cole stopped outside of a private room at the end of the corridor. The room had a large glass window and door that were frosted over to keep anyone from peering inside. "It never gets any easier, but it's a lot better than attending a funeral or a wake." Rubbing his hand over Cole's hair and tightening his other hand around Barbara's hand Hank quickly tagged on another statement. "Not that we'll have to worry about that for decades to come."</p>
      <p>Abby right pressed her palm on the electronic panel beside the closed door to unlock it for the three guests. "You three can stay as long as you like, facilities don't have visiting hours like hospitals." The door slid open and as it did the frosted opaque layer over the glass disappeared. "There's also a phone on the table that connects directly to the front desk if you need anything, and there's an emergency button on the wall just in case."</p>
      <p>"Right, thanks." Hank stepped into the room with Barbara and Cole right beside him. Keeping his hand on Cole's hair he waited for the little boy to react first before he made another move toward the bed to see Connor. "...Cole, are you okay?"</p>
      <p>Cole just stared at the bed where Connor was laying slightly propped upright but still on his back, disturbingly pale and looking nearly dead. Connor was wearing pale blue scrubs in place of his river soaked clothing, and he had a Thirium pressure cuff wrapped around his left bicep. Just as Abby had told them earlier there was indeed an external ventilator breathing for Connor, and as such there was a tube snaked down the deviant's throat in an unnerving manner. There was a Thirial activity monitor, beside the bed recording Connor's vital signs with wireless sensor pads attached to the deviant's chest. The monitor was emitting a rhythmic beep that was synchronized with Connor's heartbeat.</p>
      <p>"Cole?" Hank whispered again as the door behind them closed and the opaque frosting returned to the glass. "You don't have to be here if your don't want to."</p>
      <p>"...I want to stay."</p>
      <p>"Alright then." Walking over to the bed slowly Hank put his hand left on Connor's shoulder and addressed the deviant in a calm voice. "Hi, son. We're here for you, and we'll be here when you wake up." Pulling over a chair from beside the wall Hank took a seat and kept speaking to Connor while watching Cole from the corner of his eye as Barbara pulled her wheelchair up right beside him. Hank leaned forward a little and cleared his throat as he resumed speaking to his comatose son. "I'm not sure if you remember what happened last evening, but you did good. You saved Barb's life, and then she saved yours. I couldn't be prouder of my family right now."</p>
      <p>Connor remained quiet and still in the bed as the ventilator breathed for him. The artificial external breaths were the only sign of motion from the injured deviant as his system struggled to run its self-healing program at its maximum capacity. As he was unable to breathe on his own Connor was fully dependent on the ventilator to keep cool air circulating through his ventilation biocomponents, and do the work his thermal regulator could not.</p>
      <p>"You're lucky that bullet missed everything when it hit ya', but then again you're also lucky that Barb knew what to do after you were pulled out of the river. We were all ready to declare you long gone, but Barb didn't want to give up on ya'. It's a good thing she didn't."</p>
      <p>Barbara reached her right hand out and gently took hold of Connor's limp right hand to hold in a comforting grip. "We're all here for you, sweetheart. As soon as you're awake we're all going to go home and forget about that horrible day."</p>
      <p>Feeling a little out of place Cole finally approached the bed and stood beside Connor. "...Can he hear us?"</p>
      <p>"Maybe." Hank replied as he gave his younger son a casual shrug of his shoulders. "There's only one way to find out."</p>
      <p>"...What do I say?"</p>
      <p>"Whatever you want. Just talk to him as you normally would."</p>
      <p>Cole stared at Connor's face for only a moment before he finally spoke up. "...H-Hi, Connor."</p>
      <p>Despite the familiar voices Connor didn't react or move in the slightest.</p>
      <p>"...Mom and dad told me what happened. I'm glad you saved mom, but I'm sad you got hurt."</p>
      <p>Tears were welling up in Barbara's eyes as she began to mentally kick herself for letting Daniel take her hostage, but in that moment the last thing Connor needed to hear was doubt and sorrow.</p>
      <p>"I know it won't be too comfortable in here," motioning to the room with a casual wave of his hands Hank leaned back in his chair and placed his right hand on Connor's right forearm next to Barbara's hand. "but we should try to get some sleep. The chairs are no substitute for a real bed, but I know I won't be able to sleep at the house with Connor still here."</p>
      <p>Nodding a little Cole pulled a chair up closer to the side of the bed and then pulled his legs up so he curl up into a ball and lay on his right side in the chair as comfortably as possible still under Hank's coat. "...Goodnight, Connor. Goodnight, mom, dad."</p>
      <p>"Goodnight, sons." Giving Barbara another kiss Hank made sure she knew that he was confident that Connor was going to wake up. Ignoring the horrible events that had transpired for the sake of much needed sleep Hank closed his tired blue eyes and tried to get some rest. "Everything should be much better in the morning."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Neither Hank or Cole slept well in the hard plastic chairs throughout the remainder of the night and early morning, and Barbara hated sleeping in her wheelchair. The stiff seating was a literal pain in Hank's back, while the smaller space was too small even for Cole to lay down in comfortably. Just as Hank felt himself drifting off to sleep he was suddenly awoken when Cole let out a frightened whimper causing Hank to wake up with a start where he sat, his sudden motion waking up Barbara in the process.</p>
      <p>"Cole?" Getting up from his chair Hank walked over to the other side of the bed and knelt down in front of Cole worriedly. Pressing his left palm to Cole's forehead Hank brushed back the sweat soaked strands of dark hair from his son's face and called Cole's name. "Cole, it's okay. It's just a bad dream."</p>
      <p>Sitting up quickly Cole dragged his right hand over his eyes to wipe away his tears, and he let Hank wrap his arms around him in a reassuring hug. "Dad?"</p>
      <p>"It's okay, I'm right here. What did you dream about?"</p>
      <p>"...I was on the bridge with mom." Cole whimpered as he looked over Hank's right shoulder and to Connor still laying motionless in the bed. "This time Connor wasn't there and you weren't-"</p>
      <p>"Hey, it's okay." Rubbing his right hand gently up and down Cole's back Hank soothed his son's worries as much as possible. "It was just a nightmare. It's over, I promise."</p>
      <p>Cole only nodded as he dragged his right hand over his eyes and then his nose as he tried to dry his own tears.</p>
      <p>"Think you can go back to sleep?"</p>
      <p>"...No."</p>
      <p>"Me neither." Patting Cole's back a little Hank stood up and held Cole in his arms. "I know you're getting to be too big to sleep in a bed with someone after a nightmare, but I think in this case Connor wouldn't mind." Lightly he placed Cole down so he was laying beside Connor without obstructing the ventilator line or disturbing the deviant. "Try to fall back asleep." Picking up the coat that Cole had been previously wrapped up in Hank draped it over both of his sons and returned to his seat beside the bed and Barbara. "In the morning I'll see if I can get someone to bring us something to eat so we don't have to leave the facility."</p>
      <p>"...What about Judo and Sumo?" Cole worried about the two dogs in the same way that Connor would. "We can't just ignore them."</p>
      <p>"Don't worry about them. Gavin stopped by the house to feed them, give them some fresh water, let them outside and he played with them for a while. They're safe, warm and well fed."</p>
      <p>"...Okay."</p>
      <p>"Get some sleep, Cole. You won't have anymore nightmares with me, your mom and Connor right here beside you."</p>
      <p>Too tired to argue or resist the temptation of sleep Cole's blue eyes fell shut and he quickly fell into a steady breathing pattern as drifted off quickly while laying next to his big brother.</p>
      <p>Barbara leaned her head against Hank's left shoulder as she too tried to get some more sleep. "The moment we're back home I'm going to tell the bed how much I appreciate it."</p>
      <p>Smirking at the joke Hank was trying to sleep as well when the door quietly slid open and Abby stepped inside to check on Connor's condition without disturbing the three visitors in the process. "No change?" She whispered as she checked the Thirial activity monitor then lifted Connor's eyelids one at a time to shine her penlight into his pupils. "Nothing at all?"</p>
      <p>"No." Barbara sighed as she confirmed that nothing had changed. "Connor's been the same since you showed us in here."</p>
      <p>"Honestly, I'm not surprised." Pocketing her light Abby took notice of Cole sleeping in the bed beside Connor and gave the little boy a warm smile. "It was a tough day for all of you, huh?"</p>
      <p>"Yup." Hank confirmed with a breathy sigh. "That's one way to put it."</p>
      <p>"I think Cole would like a chocolate chip muffin in the morning." Abby volunteered as she expressed her truly compassionate soul to the worried family. "I get them from the overpriced bakery down the street, so they better be good!"</p>
      <p>"Thanks, I think he'd like that."</p>
      <p>As she leaned over to check the ventilator that was still breathing for Connor as the deviant healed Abby yawned a little as her own exhaustion reared its ugly head.</p>
      <p>"You've done enough." Hank stated as he watched the kind technician struggling against her own heavy eyelids. "Don't you ever go home and get some sleep?"</p>
      <p>"You mean don't I ever 'go apartment', and yeah, when my patients wake up I 'go apartment' and go to sleep myself."</p>
      <p>"So you're just hanging around here until Connor wakes up, too, huh?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. Don't worry, I'm getting paid the entire time so I'm good." Making notes in Connor's electronic chart Abby gave Hank a curious look. "By the way, that detective who was here earlier..."</p>
      <p>"Gavin."</p>
      <p>"Gavin. He seems... I dunno... <em>single</em>."</p>
      <p>"Uh, yeah." Giving the kind woman an odd glance as she readjusted her long brunette ponytail before taking her leave of the room Hank hoped she wasn't actually showing any interest in the abrasive detective. "Please don't tell me you fell for his fake charm and forced niceness."</p>
      <p>"Of course not, I can read people pretty damn well thanks to six years as an E.M.S. in Chicago. I know when someone is putting up a false front, even when they're trying to be nice during a stressful time. I'm not drawn to fake personalities." Putting her right hand to the electronic panel beside the door she gave Hank and Barbara a sly glance over her right shoulder. "But I<em> am</em> drawn to tight butts!"</p>
      <p>Hank just shook his head as the technician took her leave of the room, and he returned his attention to his two sons. "Man, I'm going to lose my mind when you two start dating or bringing people home. I'm too old to go through that kind of shit again."</p>
      <p>"Well, she's not wrong about his butt."</p>
      <p>"Hey!" Hank playfully nudged Barbara in the ribs as she complimented Gavin's physique. "Don't forget it's <em>my</em> butt you're married to!"</p>
      <p>Leaning closer up against Hank's side Barbara laughed a little and just tightened her hand around his. "For better or for worse, until the very end of time..."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>A quiet morning was met with bittersweet news from Captain Fowler when he arrived to check in on Connor, and to inform Hank and Barbara about the progress on their investigation into the incident on the bridge. Two hours after Connor was found in the river the search and rescue divers found Daniel's body and discovered that while in the water Daniel pressed the barrel of the gun up to his chin and pulled the trigger, effectively self-destructing. There was no need to try to revive the dangerous deviant as the damage was significant and irreparable.</p>
      <p>They had also arrested the school security guards that had failed to protect school grounds due to being high, and for abusing narcotics while on school grounds. Numerous charges were being pressed against the useless guards and they'd spend several years in prison for their crimes. The school had also agreed to allow police officers to patrol the school until the end of the school year as a precaution while they spent the summer improving their security protocols for the following school year.</p>
      <p>While the news on a professional manner was beneficial, it did little to sway Barbara's worries or ease her guilt for getting tricked by Daniel. No matter what Hank said or what he tried to do to help his wife through her guilt it just wasn't enough to make Barbara feel any better.</p>
      <p>Sitting on the edge of the bed beside Connor while he parents stepped out of the room to find breakfast Cole patiently watched as Abby noted Connor's vitals yet again. There was no change in his condition, yet Connor was getting stronger.</p>
      <p>"You know," Abby casually addressed Cole as she went about her rounds that morning. "your parents are down in the breakroom getting something to eat, do you at least want to have a muffin?"</p>
      <p>"No. And I'm not going to leave Connor alone."</p>
      <p>"Okay, you don't have to go." Abby was at a loss of what to do to help the little boy since she had more experience dealing with stubborn adults than she did stubborn kids. "More muffins for me then."</p>
      <p>"When will Connor wake up?"</p>
      <p>"Soon." Taking her audioscope from around her neck Abby put the ear pieces into place and then pressed the bell of the instrument against Connor's chest. Listening carefully to the sound of cool air circulating through his ventilation biocomponents and listening to the rate of which his Thirium pump was beating Abby decided it was time to remove the ventilator and let Connor breathe on his own. "...I can take out the tube now. It won't look pretty though."</p>
      <p>"And he'll wake up?"</p>
      <p>"He'll start to breathe again." Abby tried to reassure Cole while remaining entirely honest with him. "He'll wake up faster this way." Returning the audioscope around her neck Abby gently tilted back the bed so Connor was laying almost entirely flat. "You should wait outside for a few minutes." Unclipping the plastic securing tab at the end of the ventilator from the tube running down the deviant's throat Abby prepared to remove the tube, and free Connor's throat of the device. "This part is always a little gross."</p>
      <p>"Is it gonna' hurt him?"</p>
      <p>"No, but it will be uncomfortable."</p>
      <p>"I wanna' stay."</p>
      <p>"Are you sure?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah." Cole put his right hand on Connor's right forearm just above his wrist as he nervously watched Abby remove the securing straps keeping the tube in place as it snaked down Connor's throat. "I'm not going."</p>
      <p>"...Okay. Don't look." Abby carefully slid out the tube from Connor's throat at a steady and gentle pace as to not hurt Connor's throat or accidentally damage his teeth as the clear, flexible tube was removed. In an almost laughably easy motion the tube was removed and Connor's throat was cleared. "...Got it."</p>
      <p>Cole hadn't dared to look when Abby removed the tube, but he was well aware of how hurt Connor truly had been in that moment. Feeling like he was responsible for Connor being injured the little boy's eyes drifted up from Connor's arm to his face. Watching as Abby used a clean tissue to wipe away the trace amounts of Thirium that were staining Connor's mouth and lips, then repositioning Connor so he was propped upright again Cole nervously waited for the deviant to start breathing on his own.</p>
      <p>"The hard part's over." Replacing her audioscope to her ears and to Connor's chest Abby patiently waited for the deviant to take in a breath on his own, and kept her left palm over Connor's abdomen to feel for any motion. The deviant seemed to be unwilling to breathe and very steadily a heat was beginning to radiate from his skin as he began to overheat. "Come on, Connor. You need to breathe now."</p>
      <p>Cole was getting anxious and called out to his big brother in a low voice. "...Connor?"</p>
      <p>There was a brief pause before Connor suddenly took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He took in a second breath and fairly easily settled into a steady, healthy breathing pattern right before Abby and Cole's eyes.</p>
      <p>Abby nodded and let out her own breath as she moved the audioscope around Connor's chest and listened to each breath very carefully. "...No crackling sound of lingering water or corrosion. No physical distress or congestion." Moving the bell up a little higher and toward the central left portion of his chest she listened to Connor's heart a second time. "Normal Thirium pump rate."</p>
      <p>Cole didn't say anything, he just stared at Connor as he laid completely helpless and unconscious in the bed beside him.</p>
      <p>Moving the bell down over Connor's stomach Abby was happy to hear no excess water in his torso, either. "Everything sounds good." Taking notice of Cole's fears, the raw emotion was plain to see in his blue eyes, Abby tried a new approach. "Hey, Cole. Wanna' hear something cool?"</p>
      <p>The frightened little boy just gave Abby a confused look and didn't say anything.</p>
      <p>Removing her audioscope Abby slipped the earbuds into Cole's ears and put the bell of the device back on Connor's chest directly over the deviant's thumping Thirium pump. "Do you hear that?"</p>
      <p>Cole nodded a little as he stared at Connor's face confusedly.</p>
      <p>"That's Connor's heartbeat." She smiled and watched as Cole's eyes briefly lit up. "He's still alive and he's going to be just fine."</p>
      <p>Finally showing a modicum of relief with a ghost of a grin on his face Cole relaxed his tense shoulders and nodded again.</p>
      <p>"Now, that he's taken care of," she gently took the earbuds of the audioscope out of Cole's ears and slung the audioscope around her neck casually. "it's your turn."</p>
      <p>"What do you mean?"</p>
      <p>"You need to get something to eat so you don't feel sick. You don't have to eat anything you don't want, but you need to eat something."</p>
      <p>"...Okay."</p>
      <p>"Good. Stay here with Connor and I'll see if I can find you something good in the breakroom." As Abby crossed the room to get to the door it slid open from the other side as Hank and Barbara returned to the room with a small paper bag of gathered snacks already. "...Then again, it looks like your dad beat me to the punch."</p>
      <p>"How's Connor?" Hank asked as Abby stopped before him and gave him a cheesy grin. "Better?"</p>
      <p>"Tube's out and he's breathing on his own. He'll be waking up in a couple of hours now."</p>
      <p>"'Bout damn time. Thanks for the good news." Taking a sip of his coffee still steaming from the styrofoam cup Hank nodded at Cole still sitting on the bed right beside Connor. "And how's Cole?"</p>
      <p>"Still upset, but now that Connor's breathing I think he's starting to feel better."</p>
      <p>"Not surprised. He'll be more cooperative when Connor wakes up."</p>
      <p>"I'm sure he will. I'll be making my rounds if you need anything."</p>
      <p>"Right. Thanks for your help, Abby." Walking over to the bed Hank returned to his chair beside the bed and placed the small bag of gathered snacks on the table beside the bed for Cole to check out. Barbara had been nursing a cup of tea and looked like she had also taken a moment to cry in private to keep Cole from seeing her break down emotionally. "Connor looks a lot better without the tube in his throat, huh, Cole?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah. He's breathing and he doesn't need any help to do it."</p>
      <p>"See? He's getting better." Opening up the paper bag Hank pulled out a few muffins, doughnuts and pieces of fruit for Cole to choose from. He even managed to put a plastic cup of orange juice inside the bag without spilling it. "Take your pick, son. I grabbed one of each flavor so you don't have an excuse not to eat at least one thing."</p>
      <p>"Okay." Sliding over so his legs could fall over the edge of the bed Cole picked up a chocolate doughnut and finally began to eat in a slow meticulous manner. He couldn't deny that he wasn't getting hungry. "Thanks."</p>
      <p>"Sure. I bumped into Gavin at the breakroom when I was getting all this stuff, he said Sumo and Judo were good all night long. Only one mess, but he cleaned it up for us."</p>
      <p>"...Can we bring them here?"</p>
      <p>"Sorry, son. Dog fur can get everywhere and in a place where there's delicate equipment around they don't need that kind of a mess to deal with."</p>
      <p>"Can we take Connor back home, then?"</p>
      <p>"After he wakes up. We shouldn't risk moving him around and away from technicians just yet."</p>
      <p>Cole nodded again as he finished off his doughnut and then picked up the orange juice. "I wish I knew when he'll wake up."</p>
      <p>"Me too. But just like when anyone else gets hurt or sick it's going to take some time for him to heal."</p>
      <p>"What if Connor doesn't remember us when he wakes up? What if he has messed up memories again like when he got really sick with a fever a while back?"</p>
      <p>"Trust me, Cole." Putting his right hand on Cole's hair Hank held his hand there and smiled at his youngest son. "He'll remember us. Especially <em>you</em>!"</p>
      <p>Moving closer to the bed Barbara returned her hand to Connor's hand and gave him a gentle squeeze. "As long as we keep reminding Connor that he has a family to call his own and that we'll always be there for him just as he's always been there for us."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The waiting game was as exhausting as it was boring.</p>
      <p>Cole had fallen back asleep on the bed beside Connor and Hank spoke with Captain Fowler just outside the room regarding the incident while Barbara kept vigil. Seeing as the hostage situation involved the family members of the hostage being on the police force a lot of loose ends needed to be tied up before anyone screamed conspiracy against androids, and a police cover-up. It was best that both Hank and Connor step aside to allow other detectives to handle the case as a whole, strictly as a professional precaution.</p>
      <p>During that time Markus had stopped by the facility to check in on Connor and see how well he was recovering. Keeping his voice quiet as to not disturb Cole while he slept right beside Connor the deviant leader retracted the artificial skin from his right hand and took hold of Connor's left hand in a gentle grip. Closing his mismatched eyes Markus connected cybernetically with the downed deviant and checked his memory.</p>
      <p>The images of Daniel threatening Barbara, then Connor, and brandishing a gun were beyond unsettling. However it was the images of Connor and Daniel fighting for the gun, falling over the edge of the bridge and continuing their struggle into the depths of the murky water were even worse. It was like a horrible nightmare watching Connor through his own eyes as he fought to get the gun from Daniel's grip, but failing to do so before the deviant turned the gun on himself was absolutely heartbreaking.</p>
      <p>"Markus?" Whispering to the kind deviant leader as she stayed beside the bed Barbara sensed that he was distressed. "What's wrong with Connor?"</p>
      <p>"N-Nothing." Steadying himself as he realized Barbara read him like a book Markus gave her a sincere smile. "It's just... Seeing the incident through Connor's own eyes is very disconcerting. Connor himself is recovering just fine."</p>
      <p>"You're sure?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. Connor's going to wake up soon."</p>
      <p>"Thank goodness..."</p>
      <p>Whispering to himself Markus pushed aside the dreadful images from his own mind for just a moment. "...Shit." Letting go of Connor's hand Markus quietly prepared to take his leave of the room to allow his friend to continue to rest. "Don't worry, Connor. We know you tried to save Daniel from himself. But I guess it's true; some people just don't want to be saved."</p>
      <p>"Markus?" Hank had returned to the room and noticed Markus standing beside the bed and looking over Connor's resting form. "Is something wrong?"</p>
      <p>"No. I just wanted to see Connor and figure out what happened on the bridge."</p>
      <p>"...Find anything useful?"</p>
      <p>"Only proof that Daniel was determined to die."</p>
      <p>"Damn it."</p>
      <p>"I got a glimpse at Connor's internal system." The kind deviant leader began again with a whispering voice as he kept an optimistic grin on his face. "He'll be rebooting in two hours, seventeen minutes and twenty-two seconds."</p>
      <p>"Good! It's about time we got some confirmation on him coming around." Rubbing his right hand over the back of his neck Hank gave Markus an uneasy glance as he dared to ask an important question in a whispering voice. "Uh, you saw what happened, so that means Connor's memories are still intact, right?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, of course. Why?"</p>
      <p>Hank glanced over at Cole and gave his youngest son a subtle nod. "Cole was worried that Connor would forget about us."</p>
      <p>"No way. Connor wouldn't do anything to risk his memory."</p>
      <p>"And, uh, I know about the... 'alternate timeline'." As soon as he saw Markus's reaction Hank knew for certain that as wild as it was to believe Connor had in fact been telling the entire truth when he had told him about the little twist in time he performed a few months back. Connor had saved Barbara not once, but twice now, and he had saved Cole's life as well. "...Did anything like this happen, you know, over there?"</p>
      <p>"...No. My own memories of the alternate timeline are still active, and I can confirm that nothing like this had happened with your family and a deranged deviant in any capacity."</p>
      <p>"Good... I'd hate to think this shit was destined to happen over and over again."</p>
      <p>"Same here. It's going to be difficult enough to explain to the people that one dangerous deviant doesn't represent all the deviants in the city."</p>
      <p>"Well, don't worry about it. It was the feds who were supposed to take care of Daniel and the other deviants who were kept in the evidence rooms of precincts all across the country. Since they fucked up and couldn't be bothered to take care of the precinct that was at 'ground zero' of the Revolution means none of the deviants in the city are going to be frowned upon. The cops though... That's another matter entirely."</p>
      <p>"No, Lieutenant. We won't let that happen."</p>
      <p>"Call me 'Hank'. And thanks, Markus." Giving the deviant leader a light pat to the side of his right arm Hank showed true camaraderie toward the kindhearted and compassionate deviant leader as they walked toward the door and away from listening ears. "Nice to know you're willing to trust us."</p>
      <p>"Always."</p>
      <p>"As for Connor," sighing a little Hank rubbed his right hand through his hair nervously. "I just hope this shit doesn't affect him on a traumatic level. And poor Barb is going to need some help for a couple of months so she doesn't get scarred by everything that went down. If anything happens to Connor then I know that Barb is never going to forgive herself."</p>
      <p>"You're all that close, huh?"</p>
      <p>"Yup. Connor is our second son and he's Cole's hero."</p>
      <p>"No..." Giving Hank a slight shake of his head Markus crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke up somewhat sternly. "Connor's Cole's best friend."</p>
      <p>"Yeah? Think we can still be a strong family after going through all this?"</p>
      <p>"Absolutely. I know Connor is too stubborn to let something like that go, and I get the feeling that Barb and Cole aren't going to, either."</p>
      <p>Hank grinned a little and gave the deviant leader a casual tilt of the head. "Why don't you head back to New Jericho Tower and help keep things in line while we're waiting for Connor to wake up? I'll let you know if something happens."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, that's a good idea. Take care, Hank." Turning to look at the two brothers laying in the bed with their mother watching over them Markus smirked at the sight of the brothers who were clearly very close, and helped to create a small but carrying family in the Anderson household. "I'll see you soon, Connor. Barbara, Cole, you take care of him."</p>
      <p>Reclaiming his seat by the bed Hank pulled his phone from his pocket to set up a timer to awaken him in two hours but something interesting caught his eye. It was an unread message sent to his phone that had been sent to him the previous evening during the incident on the bridge. The message itself had been sent to him by Connor.</p>
      <p>Reading over the previously unnoticed text message Hank let out a weary sigh and put his right hand back on Connor's left shoulder lightly as he restrained his emotional tears. "...We love you, too, son."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Outside the city the streets were filled with panic as the drama on the bridge had resulted in mass confusion and worry. The precinct had the misfortune of handling everything and giving as much information to the media as possible to ensure no unfounded rumors or lies caused any damage to the shaken city's already delicate peace that existed between the humans and the deviants. Anything could set off the powder keg of tension building beneath the city, and if people believed that a deviant taking a little boy hostage could become an everyday occurrence than everything could blow at any moment.</p>
      <p>Captain Fowler had made it perfectly clear that Daniel was a heavily damaged deviant who had a history of violence, and he emphasized that his grievance was with authority and not humans. The only reason that Barbara, whose name was kept anonymous through the entire interview, was taken was because she had wanted to protect her family. He also made sure to let the media know that the officer who responded to the incident was also a deviant and a member of the police force.</p>
      <p>The confirmation of Daniel's demise seemed to be the only thing that made people feel safe, and the unfortunate reality of the death of a deviant being a comfort coaxed Markus into speaking to the media as well.</p>
      <p>While the information did help ease the tension in the city it did little to ease the lengthy wait for any response from Connor as he remained in emergency stasis mode and healed at the facility.</p>
      <p>Waking up to the sound of his phone buzzing beside him Hank opened his blue eyes, silenced his phone and slipped it back into his pocket as he looked over at Connor and Cole sleeping in the bed and sighed. Returning his hand to Connor's shoulder in a comforting manner, Barbara's hand never leaving the deviant's grip for a moment, Hank spoke to him in a low voice and just hoped he'd get a response soon. "Connor? Can you hear me, son?"</p>
      <p>The deviant stayed quiet.</p>
      <p>"We're all right here waiting for you to open your eyes. Don't keep us waiting too long, okay?"</p>
      <p>Cole heard Hank's voice and woke up with a sleepy yawn. "...Dad?"</p>
      <p>"Right here, Cole."</p>
      <p>The little boy glanced over at Connor's face and was disappointed to see that he was still sleeping. "...Connor didn't wake up."</p>
      <p>"Not yet."</p>
      <p>"What time is it?"</p>
      <p>"It's just past noon. You were out of it for a while."</p>
      <p>"...I was tired."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I get it. You'll feel a lot better and sleep better when we're back home and you're back in your own bed, and you have Judo to cuddle with."</p>
      <p>"I'm not going back home until Connor does."</p>
      <p>"None of us will leave him." As Hank spoke with Cole he felt a slight twitch under his palm and noticed that Connor's arm had moved slightly. Keeping his hand on the deviant's shoulder Hank addressed Connor in a calm voice. "...Connor? Connor, can you hear me, son?"</p>
      <p>"Is he waking up?" Cole asked as his eyes went wide and he stared at Connor's face intensely.</p>
      <p>"Maybe. Connor?" Hank tried again and was answered with a gentle fluttering of Connor's eyelids. "Come on, son, wake up. Can you hear me?"</p>
      <p>The deviant's head lolled a little and his hand twitched again.</p>
      <p>Barbara tightened her hand around Connor's hand and let out a hopeful chuckle. "That's it sweetheart, open your eyes. We're here for you!"</p>
      <p>Cole grabbed onto Connor's left hand with his own and held tight as Hank and Barbara kept speaking to Connor in a level tone of voice. "Connor. Please? Open your eyes and look at us." Hank glanced up at the Thirial activity monitor and saw that Connor's vital signs were still the same, but the deviant was evidently still rebooting. "Give us some kind of sign, son. We know you're there."</p>
      <p>Connor responded by reflexively squeezing Cole's hand and his eyelids cracked open to reveal glassy brown irises.</p>
      <p>"Connor?"</p>
      <p>"...D-Dad?"</p>
      <p>Hearing Connor referring to him as 'dad' rather than his first name did the gruff Lieutenant's heart some much needed good. "Right here, son. Barbara and Cole are here, too."</p>
      <p>Connor's eyes opened a little wider and his brown irises cleared up and became steadily more vibrant. "...Cole?"</p>
      <p>"...Hi, Connor." The little boy responded sheepishly, if not fearfully. "I'm here."</p>
      <p>Glancing over at his parents sitting beside his bed Connor's eyes fell on Barbara and his pupils widened. "...B-Barbara?"</p>
      <p>"Right here, honey. I'm right here beside you."</p>
      <p>Connor blinked once and looked at Barbara's face as if needing to recognize his own mother. "...Mom." Letting out a weak sigh Connor blinked again and put his right hand down heavily on Barbara's arm as he realized she had escaped harm by Daniel. "...You're safe."</p>
      <p>"You saved my life."</p>
      <p>"...And you saved me."</p>
      <p>Barbara stared blankly at Connor's face in utter confusion as tears welled up in her eyes. "...What do you mean?"</p>
      <p>"...I heard what... everything you told me." Connor's voice was a little hoarse but it was regaining strength with each word he spoke. "You saved my life. Encouraged him to not give up on me, performed C.P.R. and... revived me."</p>
      <p>Choking back a sob Barbara's hand began to shake as it tightened around Connor's hand. "You heard us talking?"</p>
      <p>"...Yes. I know you didn't leave me alone... and stayed with me... while I rested." Speaking was a chore but slowly Connor's voice regained strength and his words became more clear as the hoarseness faded. "I know you're... going to be okay. That's what's... important."</p>
      <p>"Oh, honey..." Unable to withhold her guilt any longer Barbara almost burst with emotions. "You're here because of me! I'm so sorry you got shot!"</p>
      <p>It pained Connor to see Barbara so torn up and emotionally destroyed by everything that had happened. Acting on a strange and unspoken instinct Connor lifted up his right hand to hold onto his sobbing mother's shoulder and pulled Barbara down against him for a hug. Ignoring the lingering pain in his abdomen from being shot, and ignoring his own physical weakness Connor tried to comfort Barbara as best as he could.</p>
      <p>"...I'm okay, mom. You didn't do anything wrong." Moving his right hand over to Barbara's back Connor held his mother in a reassuring hug. He could feel how much stronger she had become thanks to her return to physical therapy, and he knew she'd just get stronger. "You aren't responsible for this, Daniel is the one who's responsible."</p>
      <p>"I'm so sorry!" Barbara all but shouted as he burst into frustrated tears. "It's my fault that my own son was shot! What kind of mother am I?"</p>
      <p>"...Don't be sorry." Promising his mother that everyone was alright now, and that they were going to be just fine Connor continued to hug Barbara and give her a grounded feeling. "It's okay, <em>we're</em> okay. It was an accident and none of it was your fault. Please don't blame yourself."</p>
      <p>Slowly Hank stood up from the chair and put his left hand on Barbra's back right next to Connor's right hand in a comforting manner. Cole quickly hugged Barbara as well as the entire family embraced one another in indescribable relief. "He's right, Barb. We're all here and we're all okay." He soothed his wife compassionately as the family gathered together. "In a few hours we'll all be home, too."</p>
      <p>"...We're going home." Connor reaffirmed as he held his family in a firm hug as the idea of returning home sounded absolutely ideal. A family to call his own and protect did his ever growing heart good. "...Together."</p>
      <p>
        <em>
          <strong>-next chapter-</strong>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. An Endless Tomorrow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After being given the clear from Abby after one final exam Connor was released from the facility, and allowed to return home under the strict instructions he continued to rest, and didn't do anything physically exerting that could re-injure his abdomen after being shot. Android self healing programs are beyond incredible and often times are superior to that of a human's own immune system, but without CyberLife being able to actively monitoring android software and update their programs at the earliest opportunity many androids; especially prototypes, it meant deviants needed to take extra precautions to keep their systems up to date and functioning at optimal capacity.</p><p>Leaning against Hank's right shoulder Connor slowly walked toward the front door of the house with his left hand pressed warily against the still healing bullet wound in his abdomen, and followed after Barbara and Cole as the little boy ran to the front door and used Hank's keys to unlock it. As the door was pushed open Cole stood just inside the livingroom and held Sumo by his collar to keep the large dog from either running outside or jumping up on Connor.</p><p>"Take it nice and slow, son." Hank urged as he helped guide the deviant inside the house and shut the door behind them with a casual kick of his right foot. Everyone was exhausted and needed to sleep, but everyone was also wound up and needed to let out their nervous pent up energy. "Do you want to lay down on the couch, or upstairs in your own bed?"</p><p>"Bed, please."</p><p>"No problem. Come on."</p><p>"I can make it on my own."</p><p>"Nope. I'll keep helping you." Patting his hand right on Connor's right shoulder Hank guided the deviant toward the staircase and helped Connor to ascend the stairs to the second floor where everyone's bedrooms were located. Guiding his wounded son into the bedroom and over to the bed Hank helped Connor to sit down on the edge of the bed for a moment before the deviant laid back over the length of the mattress and rested his head on the pillow. "Need anything?"</p><p>"...Thirium."</p><p>"I gotcha' covered. I'll be back in a minute."</p><p>Connor weakly nodded as he laid back and breathed slowly. Pulling up his black t-shirt by the hem he looked down at his abdomen where there wasn't any sign of a wound or even a scar; just fair artificial skin dotted with a few freckles. The deviant ran a scan over the affected area and determined his status to be stable but not optimal at the moment. He still needed some time to heal entirely.</p><p>"...Connor?" Cole's voice called out to the deviant from the still opened bedroom doorway as he peeked inside the bedroom. "...Are you okay?"</p><p>"Cole, I'm fine." Putting his shirt back down Connor gave the little boy a reassuring grin. "I can assure you that I've been through worse and I'm still here."</p><p>Cole gave Connor a silent and wary nod as he stared at the floor for a moment.</p><p>"Come here."</p><p>Looking up at Connor for a moment Cole's eyes drifted back to the floor as if feeling guilty. Walking over to the bed Cole stood beside it and almost jumped when Connor suddenly wrapped his left arm around Cole's shoulders and pulled him in for a hug.</p><p>"We're all okay, that's all that matters."</p><p>Sumo trotted into the bedroom and a few seconds later Judo did the the same. As the dogs gathered in the bedroom Hank walked through the doorway with a bottle of Thirium in one hand and an ice pack in the other. "I had to let Judo out of his kennel so he can burn off his energy. Hope you don't mind the company, Connor."</p><p>"It's never a problem."</p><p>"Here's your Thirium and I brought you some ice. I know it doesn't do much for android pain, but I had to at least offer."</p><p>"Thank you." Sitting upright on his bed a little while keeping his arm around Cole's shoulders Connor accepted the ice pack and put it over his abdomen as a show of good faith, and then accepted the Thirium with his right hand. "How long until I'm permitted to return to the precinct?"</p><p>"One week."</p><p>"That seems excessive."</p><p>"Not really. The usual protocol for a wounded officer is two weeks for physical recovery and one more week for a mental recovery after being injured in the line of duty."</p><p>"Mental recovery?"</p><p>"You can't just act like what happened to you didn't happen." Sitting down on the edge of the bed beside Cole without jostling him, and lightly put his right hand on Cole's back in a comforting manner, Hank addressed his more stubborn son in a stern voice. "You and Barbara <em>both</em> went through some pretty terrible things recently. Maybe you <em>both</em> should talk to a therapist a couple times just to make sure you're <em>both</em> really okay."</p><p>Connor quickly picked up on Hank's hinting and knew it was something that he'd need to do for the sake of Barbara's own health. "...Of course. I will speak to a therapist regarding the incident on the bridge, and... I'll talk to them about my encounter with Zlatko. There is no shame in seeking help."</p><p>"Yeah..." Giving Cole a somber look Hank sighed and pressed the matter a little further. "And while we're doing our thing Cole can do his own. We'll all have a talk with a therapist and make sure we all put this horrible event behind us, right where it belongs."</p><p>When Cole's tense shoulders finally relaxed Connor lessened his grip and Cole stood upright and just stared at Connor's face blankly.</p><p>"Tomorrow we should spend the day speaking to a therapist," Hank continued as he patted Cole's shoulder lightly. "and make sure none of us are going to have nightmares or misplaced guilt and anger."</p><p>Agreeing readily Connor opened the lid on the bottle of offered Thirium and drank a small amount. "Yes. That's will be for the best." Downing a little more of the Thirium the healing deviant looked at the doorway and waited for Barbara to return. "...Where's mom?"</p><p>"Downstairs. She needs a minute to herself."</p><p>"...I want to speak to her. In private."</p><p>"Son, stay put. I'll let her know you want to talk."</p><p>"Okay. I'll wait here."</p><p>Cole stayed with Connor and kept his big brother company as they watched Hank leave the bedroom for just a moment to retrieve Barbara. "Are you hurting right now, Connor?"</p><p>"Not really. It's like my stomach is covered under a big bruise, but it's not bothering me."</p><p>"Were you scared when you fell off the bridge?"</p><p>"I was only afraid of not seeing my family again. The falling part was scary, but not as scary as the idea of never see you, mom or dad again."</p><p>"Connor?" Barbara's voice called out to the deviant as she entered the bedroom with Hank right beside her. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"I just wanted to talk to you."</p><p>"What about?"</p><p>Nodding at Hank to signal that he wanted to be alone the senior detective picked up on the hint and motioned for Cole to step out of the room for a moment. The bedroom door shut as Sumo and Judo followed after the two masters, and Connor propped himself up on his elbows so he could look his mother in the eyes. "...Please don't blame yourself."</p><p>Breaking down all over again Barbara pressed her hands to her teary eyes as she leaned forward in her wheelchair. "...I'm sorry."</p><p>Moving slowly Connor rose from his bed and knelt down on the floor in front of Barbara so he could hug her. As he embraced his mother Connor felt his own tears welling up as the idea of her being so heartbroken made his own heart break. "Please don't cry!"</p><p>"You're my son, I'm a detective and I got you shot!"</p><p>"No, mom." As he spoke the term 'mom' he felt Barbara's shoulders tense up for a moment and then relax again. "Daniel is the one who did this. Don't blame yourself because an angry deviant from my past wanted revenge. If you let him hurt you, even emotionally, then he'll win. Please don't do this to yourself."</p><p>Realizing that Connor was right and that she had nothing to be ashamed of Barbara took in a calming breath and dried her tears. "...Okay, Connor. I won't let him hurt us anymore."</p><p>Feeling Barbara's tension lessen Connor leaned back on his knees and slowly released his arms from around her. "...Thank you."</p><p>Staring at Connor's face Barbara used her left thumb to wipe away his own tears as she stayed strong for her son when he needed her the most. "...You're so sweet. Thank you for saving my life."</p><p>"It was my honor to save you and have you become my mother." Standing up slowly, his left hand pressing to his abdomen where his healing wound still ached at him as he moved about, Connor extended his right hand toward Barbara as he cybernetically turned on the small radio on his bookshelf to begin playing a soft song. "...Can I have this dance."</p><p>"It'd be <em>my</em> honor." Accepting his hand Barbara stood up, her movements more stable and swifter than before, and let her son lead her in a slow dance in the middle of his bedroom. "You're such a graceful dancer."</p><p>Blushing a pale blue Connor smiled at the compliment as he supported Barbara and guided her about the room. "You're a good teacher."</p><p>"Hard to believe I gave up on my physical therapy just because I was angry about needing the therapy at all. Guess I should've accepted my fate and been a better role model for Cole, huh?"</p><p>"You're a great role model for Cole, and for myself." Determined to keep Barbara's thoughts focused in a more positive light Connor refused to let her try to tear herself down over a past decision. "I understand how frustrating it can be to feel like a part of your own body has betrayed you, and not wanting to acknowledge what's happening. You're still a good person, a dedicated wife and a love mother."</p><p>"And you're the second child Hank and had dreamed of having."</p><p>Pausing for a moment Connor gave Barbara a curious glance before resuming the slow dance. "...You wanted to have another child?"</p><p>"We did. Being shot affected more than my legs and that dream was taken away."</p><p>"...I'm sorry, I didn't know that."</p><p>"I think that's what kept me from doing the physical therapy even after I had this wonderful microchip implanted in my spine. It could help me walk again, but it'd never let me have the feeling a completed family. And then you showed up in our lives and that empty feeling... It's gone."</p><p>"I'm... I'm glad I could help." Wincing as the motion of the dance pulled on his sore abdomen Connor sighed and helped Barbara return to her wheelchair as he cybernetically turned off the song. Sitting down slowly on the edge of his bed Connor let out a slow breath and gave Barbara a kind smile. "...You know, tomorrow is yours and Hank's wedding anniversary."</p><p>"I know. Twelve wonderful years together, and I spent seven of them in a wheelchair."</p><p>"You won't be wheelchair bound for much longer. I know you'll find the strength to walk again without needing my assistance."</p><p>"When?"</p><p>"Very soon. Your spine and core have strengthened considerably, I no longer feel you shaking when you stand."</p><p>"Then maybe my gift for Hank won't be a one time experience after all."</p><p>"No, you'll be able to dance with him every day of your lives at the rate you're going."</p><p>"Then I won't give up on my rehab ever again."</p><p>There was a soft knocking on the bedroom door as Hank returned with Cole right at his side, and the two dogs right behind them. "Hey? Is it okay to come in again?"</p><p>"Yes." Connor confirmed as stayed upright on his bed and gave Hank a reassuring nod. "Everything is fine."</p><p>"Cool."</p><p>Connor looked at the group gathered in his bedroom; his father, mother, brother, Sumo and Judo, and realized he had a real family. One he wanted to protect with his life and one he was determined to keep safe and happy. "...Maybe I should rest in the livingroom." The deviant decided in an almost casual manner. "That way we won't have to be crammed in my small bedroom. We can be more comfortable in the bigger livingroom."</p><p>Without any doubts Hank picked up on what Connor was suggesting and offered to help get back downstairs. "Yeah, and we can just sit in the middle of the couch and watch a bunch of movies until we pass out. Shouldn't take too long, I know I'm exhausted." Offering Connor his hand Hank easily pulled the deviant up and off of the bed back to his feet. "Come on." Letting Connor lean against his side again Hank watched as Cole put his hand on Connor's opposite arm as if to help support the deviant, too. "The sooner we're down there and relaxed on the couch the sooner I can get some damn sleep."</p><p>"That sounds good to me. How about you guys?"</p><p>"Yeah." The little boy sounded as tired as Hank and Connor felt as he guided his big brother down the staircase and into the livingroom. "It's better to sleep here than at a facility or a hospital."</p><p>Hank laughed and agreed wholeheartedly. "You're one-hundred percent right on that one, son."</p><p>Connor looked over his shoulder as Barbara wheeled over the guide rail and hooked her wheelchair into the rail to accompany her family downstairs. As she let the wheelchair get connected to the guides she gave Connor a knowing glance that reassured him that soon she wouldn't need the guide rails at all, and she'd be able to walk up and down the staircase without needing any assistance.</p><p>"Let's stay up until midnight." Barbara suggested coyly as she met her family down in the livingroom beside the couch. "I want us to start our anniversary off with the whole family together."</p><p>"Yeah?" Hank smirked as he had his own secretive plans for their wedding anniversary ready to go as soon as possible. "Sounds good to me, Barb."</p><hr/><p>Sure enough within an hour the family had gathered on the couch to watch a movie and had slowly fallen asleep one by one. Hank had been the first to pass out and was leaning heavily against a large, square pillow against the armrest with Barbara resting against his side, and Cole was sitting in the middle between Barbara and Connor under a blanket that was spread out over the four of them. Judo was curled up on Cole's lap and in a deep sleep while Sumo had spread out his massive body to lay over all four of the occupants of the couch.</p><p>Connor rubbed his hand along Sumo's ears and watched from the corner of his eye as Cole's heavy eyes fell shut and he began to fall asleep. As the little boy gave way to sleep Connor smirked and felt completely at home as Cole ended up leaning against his right side and arm in a deep slumber. Tired himself Connor leaned his head back and cybernetically lowered the volume on the movie as the family stayed by one another on the couch while setting an internal alarm for just before midnight.</p><p>"...I now know for certain that I did the right thing." Connor told himself as he compared the two timelines together and noted the drastic improvement in Hank's health, his mood and overall mental stability. "Everyone is happy."</p><p>The changes not only helped Hank; possibly even saved him from himself, but they allowed a good detective to live on and allowed an innocent child to live on, and had even allowed a small puppy to be brought into a loving home instead of staying at the shelter.</p><p>The precinct had also been affected in a positive manner. While Tina had tragically lost her boyfriend in a car accident she did gain a daughter that had never been born in the other timeline, and Gavin had mellowed out considerably as he volunteered to help his best friend raise her baby. There was also a substantial leap of faith toward the precinct in regards of deviant protection, and it seemed like that faith hadn't been misplaced.</p><p>New Jericho Tower was still thriving and Markus had maintained a healthy, safe and protective environment for deviants in need of shelter. There was also a well known bond of trust between Markus and Connor that had given the city a prime example of how android rights had been approved, respected and acknowledged in light of the peaceful Revolution in the eyes of the law.</p><p>"It was a risk that paid off. My friends," he whispered as he looked over at Hank, Barbara down at Cole and then at the two dogs cuddled up with them. "...my family, is safe." The very term seemed to catch Connor unexpectedly off guard. "...My<em> family</em>." A smile appeared on his face as he realized how easily the concept came to his mind and how normal it felt to say it. "I truly have a family. A father, a mother and a little brother to take care of."</p><p>The idea of an android having any type of family had always been mocked and laughed at by bigoted humans in the past.</p><p>How could a machine have a family? How could machines understand love, life, pain, emotions or dreams? How could <em>plastic</em> be <em>alive</em>?</p><p>As is turns out the 'how' isn't important at all. It's the 'when' that decides how androids and humans can come together as friends, live together as people and most importantly, recognize one another as a family.</p><p>Connor sighed and looked at Barbara and Cole, two lives that had been saved and given a chance to actually live. It was like the Revolution had taken place for the Anderson family long before that fateful cold November night in Hart Plaza.</p><p>"...I'm finally home. I finally know where I belong. It's here."</p><p>Drifting off into a light sleep Connor almost jumped when his alarm went off and he noted the time. Reaching his right hand over to Barbara's left shoulder Connor gentle woke his mother and gave her a kind smirk.</p><p>"It's time." Barbara whispered as she sat upright and gently pushed Sumo from her lap so she could get up. Sumo grumbled but got down on the floor so Connor could assist Barbara and quietly guide her up the staircase. He supported her weight at his side to allow her to walk up the staircase and into her and Hank's bedroom at the end of the hallway. "I'll just be a minute, let me wake up Hank myself."</p><p>"I understand." Whispering in response Connor stayed outside the bedroom and watched the time tick past midnight. Barely twenty minutes passed before Barbara emerged from the bedroom wearing a cherry red spaghetti strap dress, low black pumps, had her hair pulled back into a wavy manner that ran down her back, and an elegant display of make up over her face. "...You look beautiful."</p><p>"Thank you, Connor." Blushing at the compliment Barbara struggled to balance on her heels but she was determined to look her best for Hank as they finally danced together again after seven years. Letting Connor guide her back down the staircase Barbara returned to her wheelchair and wheel over to Hank to give him a kiss on the cheek. "...Hank."</p><p>Opening his blue eyes Hank looked Barbara in her eyes and smiled. "Hey. Happy anniversary."</p><p>"Happy anniversary."</p><p>Noticing that Barbara was dressed up rather elegantly Hank gave his wife a surprising stare. "You look amazing!"</p><p>"You don't look so bad yourself."</p><p>"Liar. Give me a minute and I'll manage to put together something that might hold its own against your dress."</p><p>"I'll be waiting."</p><p>All but rushing upstairs Hank passed by Connor as the deviant leaned over the back of the couch and shook Cole's shoulder lightly. "Cole?"</p><p>Looking up at Connor the little boy gave his big brother an odd look. "Connor?"</p><p>"I need you to come upstairs for a moment."</p><p>"What time is it?"</p><p>"It's twelve fourteen in the morning."</p><p>"Okay, I'll go to bed."</p><p>"No, don't do that."</p><p>"What? Why?"</p><p>"I'll explain everything in a minute. I just need you to pack up some clothes and be sure to pack your swim trunks."</p><p>Even more confused Cole opened his eyes even wider and gave Connor the most perplexed look of his life. "What's going on?"</p><p>"Please? You'll find out soon enough."</p><p>"Okay, I guess." As he climbed off the couch with Judo in his arms Cole passed by his mom and stopped short as he noticed that she too was dressed up, and looked far more radiant than usual. "...Mom?"</p><p>"I want to look nice for your dad during our anniversary." Smoothing out her dress Barbara gave Cole a small smile. "What do you think?"</p><p>"You look pretty." Continuing up the staircase with a groggy yawn Cole went into his bedroom and packed a bag as he had been instructed.</p><p>"You do look very nice, mom." Connor stated confidently as he walked past her to pack his own bag. "I'll take Cole to the hotel tonight so you and dad can have the whole day to yourselves."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>"I'm sure." Pressing his left palm to his abdomen he gave his mother a small nod. "I'm uncomfortable but I can handle a day at a water park with my little brother."</p><p>"Thank you, sweetheart."</p><p>By the time Cole and Connor had packed their bags Hank finished changing his clothes and was now wearing a pair of black slacks, a navy blue dress shirt and a pair of black dress shoes that had been shined to a perfect luster. As the brothers approached the front door, Cole looking exhausted and ready to fall asleep at any moment, Connor turned to face his parents as Hank stood before Barbara in the middle of the livingroom.</p><p>"Have a nice anniversary." Cybernetically Connor turned on the stereo and began playing the song that he and Barbara practiced dancing to for months on end in the basement. "We'll be back tomorrow morning."</p><p>"Thanks, son." Hank replied as he presented Barbara with her anniversary gift. A red rose with a modest black pearl ring on a silver band. "Barb, I know you don't ask for jewelry, but I saw this and I thought of you. A rare black pearl that stands out above all the rest."</p><p>"Oh, Hank. It's beautiful!" Watching as Hank removed the ring from the box Barbara flashed him a loving smile. "I hope my gift is just as thoughtful."</p><p>"You could give me only a passing glance and it'd be all I need since it came from you..."</p><p>Opening the front door Connor put his hand on Cole's shoulder and watched with pride as Barbara extended her right hand toward Hank to take. As the senior detective of course accepted her hand Connor silently motioned for Cole to turn and watch as their mother stood up from the wheelchair and stood before Hank for the very first time in over seven years.</p><p>"Barb..." As his blue eyes went wide tears welled up and Hank stared at his wife with shock and admiration. "You're... You're standing!"</p><p>"I can do more than that." Moving her hands to Hank's shoulders Barbara gave him a loving stare as the song continued to play. "This is my gift to you, Hank. A long overdue dance with the man I love more than anyone else in this entire world."</p><p>Taking Barbara's right hand from his shoulder Hank slipped the new ring on her finger and then held her right hand tightly in his left as he moved his right hand to her waist. "...I could've waited a thousand years if I meant we could dance together again."</p><p>Smiling at his parents and guiding Cole, who had wide eyes wonder at the sight of his mother finally standing up after only having memories of her being wheelchair bound throughout most of life, out of the house and into the night Connor closed the front door quietly behind himself and led Cole over to the car so they could go to their hotel.</p><p>"Our parents deserve a night to themselves, Cole." Connor explained in a low voice as he studied his little brother's shocked face. "Our anniversary gift to them is to let them have the house to themselves so they can be together just like when they were first dating and fell in love for the first time."</p><p>Cole didn't hear anything Connor said. Instead he was more focused on what he just saw. "Mom... can walk?!"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"But..." Opening up the passenger side door of the car Cole threw his backpack in the backseat as Connor turned to watch their parents dancing together in the livingroom through the front window. He too watched with awe at the sight of their parents slow dancing together. "How!?"</p><p>"Our mom went through physical therapy to stand up, walk and even dance again to be role model for us. This is just the beginning when it comes to how our family will overcome the odds, and find renewed strength in one another."</p><p>
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    <strong>-End of Story-</strong>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading!  Tomorrow a new short series will be uploaded!  :)</p>
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